IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/drm/wpaper/2022-20.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Incentives to differentiate under environmental liability laws : Product customization and precautionary effort

Author

Listed:
  • Eric Langlais
  • Andreea Cosnita-Langlais

Abstract

We endogenize location/product specification choices in a spatial Cournot duopoly on the linear market, when firms' output entails an accidental harm to the environment. Under a strict liability regime, the equilibrium involves no differentiation when the expected harm is low enough. This outcome is suboptimal, and identical to the spatial pattern obtained under a no-liability regime. With larger harm, the equilibrium displays some dispersion/product differentiation, the degree of which is increasing with the level of harm towards the first best locations/product choices. Our results are robusts when allowing for firms' investment in environmental measures. Moreover, we show that vertical/care differentiation occurs whenever horizontal product differentiation arises. Finally, we show that under a negligence rule, firms always comply with the due care level, but the equilibrium involves no differentiation, either horizontal/product or vertical/care.

Suggested Citation

  • Eric Langlais & Andreea Cosnita-Langlais, 2022. "Incentives to differentiate under environmental liability laws : Product customization and precautionary effort," EconomiX Working Papers 2022-20, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    • Handle: RePEc:drm:wpaper:2022-20
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://economix.fr/pdf/dt/2022/WP_EcoX_2022-20.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. D’Antoni, Massimo & Tabbach, Avraham D., 2014. "Inadequate compensation and multiple equilibria," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 33-47.
    2. Alfred Endres & Tim Friehe, 2013. "The monopolistic polluter under environmental liability law: incentives for abatement and R&D," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 40(3), pages 753-770, March.
    3. Ricardo Biscaia & Isabel Mota, 2013. "Models of spatial competition: A critical review," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 92(4), pages 851-871, November.
    4. Mayer, Thierry, 2000. "Spatial Cournot competition and heterogeneous production costs across locations," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 325-352, May.
    5. Eaton, B Curtis & Schmitt, Nicolas, 1994. "Flexible Manufacturing and Market Structure," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(4), pages 875-888, September.
    6. Eric Langlais & Andreea Cosnita-Langlais, 2022. "Endogenous market structures, product liability, and the scope of product differentiation," Working Papers hal-04159801, HAL.
    7. Yongmin Chen & Xinyu Hua, 2017. "Competition, Product Safety, and Product Liability," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 33(2), pages 237-267.
    8. Alessandra Chirco & Marcella Scrimitore & Corrado Benassi, 2007. "Spatial Discrimination with Quantity Competition and High Transportation Costs: a Note," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 12(1), pages 1-7.
    9. Miceli, Thomas J. & Segerson, Kathleen, 1991. "Joint liability in torts: Marginal and infra-marginal efficiency," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 235-249, December.
    10. Florian Baumann & Tim Friehe, 2015. "Optimal Damages Multipliers in Oligopolistic Markets," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 171(4), pages 622-640, December.
    11. Baumann, Florian & Charreire, Maxime & Cosnita-Langlais, Andreea, 2020. "Market collusion with joint harm and liability sharing," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    12. Kats, Amoz, 1995. "More on Hotelling's stability in competition," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 89-93, March.
    13. Henry van Egteren & R. Smith, 2002. "Environmental Regulations Under Simple Negligence or Strict Liability," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 21(4), pages 367-394, April.
    14. Alfred Endres & Tim Friehe & Bianca Rundshagen, 2015. "“It’s All in the Mix!”- Internalizing externalities with R&D subsidies and environmental liability," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 44(1), pages 151-178, January.
    15. Andrew F. Daughety & Jennifer F. Reinganum, 2006. "Markets, torts, and social inefficiency," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 37(2), pages 300-323, June.
    16. Pal, Debashis, 1998. "Does Cournot competition yield spatial agglomeration?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 49-53, July.
    17. Maxime Charreire & Eric Langlais, 2021. "Should environment be a concern for competition policy when firms face environmental liability ?," Post-Print hal-03208691, HAL.
    18. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:12:y:2007:i:1:p:1-7 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. d'Aspremont, C & Gabszewicz, Jean Jaskold & Thisse, J-F, 1979. "On Hotelling's "Stability in Competition"," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(5), pages 1145-1150, September.
    20. Baumann, Florian & Friehe, Tim, 2021. "Products liability, consumer misperceptions, and the allocation of consumers to firms," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    21. Charreire, Maxime & Langlais, Eric, 2021. "Should environment be a concern for competition policy when firms face environmental liability?," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    22. Florian Baumann & Tim Friehe & Alexander Rasch, 2018. "Product Liability in Markets for Vertically Differentiated Products," American Law and Economics Review, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 46-81.
    23. Matsushima, Noriaki, 2001. "Cournot competition and spatial agglomeration revisited," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 175-177, November.
    24. Anderson, Simon P & Neven, Damien J, 1991. "Cournot Competition Yields Spatial Agglomeration," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 32(4), pages 793-808, November.
    25. Matsumura, Toshihiro & Shimizu, Daisuke, 2005. "Spatial Cournot competition and economic welfare: a note," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 658-670, November.
    26. Gupta, Barnali & Pal, Debashis & Sarkar, Jyotirmoy, 1997. "Spatial Cournot competition and agglomeration in a model of location choice," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 261-282, June.
    27. José María Chamorro Rivas, 2000. "Spatial dispersion in cournot competition," Spanish Economic Review, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 2(2), pages 145-152.
    28. Gupta, Barnali & Lai, Fu-Chuan & Pal, Debashis & Sarkar, Jyotirmoy & Yu, Chia-Ming, 2004. "Where to locate in a circular city?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 759-782, June.
    29. Dari-Mattiacci Giuseppe, 2006. "On the Optimal Scope of Negligence," Review of Law & Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 1(3), pages 331-364, January.
    30. David M. Kreps & Jose A. Scheinkman, 1983. "Quantity Precommitment and Bertrand Competition Yield Cournot Outcomes," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 14(2), pages 326-337, Autumn.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Eric Langlais & Andreea Cosnita-Langlais, 2022. "Endogenous market structures, product liability, and the scope of product differentiation," EconomiX Working Papers 2022-18, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    2. Stefano Colombo, 2016. "Location choices with a non-linear demand function," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95, pages 215-226, March.
    3. Chia-Hung Sun & Jyh-Fa Tsai & Fu-Chuan Lai, 2017. "Spatial Cournot competition in a circular city with more than two dispatches," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 68(4), pages 413-442, December.
    4. Qiang Wang & Qi Chen, 2008. "Cournot competition and location choice with wage bargaining," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 12(22), pages 1-5.
    5. Gupta, Barnali & Lai, Fu-Chuan & Pal, Debashis & Sarkar, Jyotirmoy & Yu, Chia-Ming, 2004. "Where to locate in a circular city?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 759-782, June.
    6. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:12:y:2008:i:22:p:1-5 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Chia-Hung Sun, 2014. "Spatial Cournot Competition in a Linear City with Directional Delivery Constraints," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 65(3), pages 344-374, September.
    8. Andreea Cosnita-Langlais, 2011. "Cournot competition in spatial markets: a complementary result on complementarity," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 31(3), pages 2454-2467.
    9. AGO Takanori, 2015. "Competition between Cities and Their Spatial Structure," Discussion papers 15110, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    10. Chen, Chin-Sheng & Lai, Fu-Chuan, 2008. "Location choice and optimal zoning under Cournot competition," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 119-126, March.
    11. Toshihiro Matsumura & Daisuke Shimizu, 2008. "A Noncooperative Shipping Cournot Duopoly With Linear‐Quadratic Transport Costs And Circular Space," The Japanese Economic Review, Japanese Economic Association, vol. 59(4), pages 498-518, December.
    12. Stefano Colombo, 2016. "A Model of Three Cities," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 39(4), pages 386-416, October.
    13. Ricardo Biscaia & Isabel Mota, 2013. "Models of spatial competition: A critical review," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 92(4), pages 851-871, November.
    14. Colombo, Stefano, 2011. "On the rationale of spatial discrimination with quantity-setting firms," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 254-258, September.
    15. Chia-Hung Sun & Jyh-Fa Tsai & Fu-Chuan Lai, 2017. "Spatial Cournot Competition in a Circular City with More than Two Dispatches," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 68(4), pages 413-442, December.
    16. Tomasz Kopczewski & Maciej Pogorzelski, 2009. "Influence of the size of the company on developing of decision-making process of the enterprise concerning the spatial location," Ekonomia journal, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw, vol. 23.
    17. Toshihiro Matsumura & Takao Ohkawa & Daisuke Shimizu, 2005. "Partial Agglomeration or Dispersion in Spatial Cournot Competition," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 72(1), pages 224-235, July.
    18. Ricardo Biscaia & Paula Sarmento, 2013. "Location Decisions in a Natural Resource Model of Cournot Competition," FEP Working Papers 509, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    19. Wen-Chung Guo & Fu-Chuan Lai, 2015. "Spatial Cournot competition in a linear–circular market," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 54(3), pages 819-834, May.
    20. Matsumura, Toshihiro & Shimizu, Daisuke, 2005. "Spatial Cournot competition and economic welfare: a note," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 658-670, November.
    21. Debashis Pal & Jyotirmoy Sarkar, 2006. "Spatial Cournot Competition among Multi‐Plant Firms in a Circular City," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 73(1), pages 246-258, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cournot competition; spatial model; strategic location; product choice; horizontal differentiation; vertical differentitation; environmental liability; strict liability; negligence.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
    • K21 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Antitrust Law
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:drm:wpaper:2022-20. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Valerie Mignon (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/modemfr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.