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Dynamic protection of innovations through patents and trade secrets

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  • BELLELFLAMME, Paul

    () (Université catholique de Louvain, CORE & Louvain School of Management, Belgium)

  • BLOCH , Francis

    () (Paris I, Paris School of Economics)

  • ,

Abstract

This paper analyzes the optimal protection strategy for an innovator of a complex innovation who faces the risk of imitation by a competitor. We suppose that the innovation can be continuously fragmented into sub-innovations. We characterize the optimal mix of patent and trade secrets when the innovator faces a strict novelty requirement and can only patent a fraction of the innovation once. We also study the optimal dynamic patenting policy in a soft novelty regime, when the innovator can successively patent different fragments of the process. We compare a regime with prior user rights, when the innovator can use the secret part of the process, even when it is patented by an imitator with a regime without prior user rights.

Suggested Citation

  • BELLELFLAMME, Paul & BLOCH , Francis & ,, 2013. "Dynamic protection of innovations through patents and trade secrets," CORE Discussion Papers 2013059, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cor:louvco:2013059
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    patents; trade secrets; dynamic protection of innovation; intellectual property rights;

    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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