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When should a winner take all, or pay some? Innovation and imitation incentives in a dynamic duopoly

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  • Billette de Villemeur, Etienne
  • Ruble, Richard
  • Versaevel, Bruno

Abstract

We develop a model of investment in duopoly with asymmetric costs of innovating and imitating and endogenous firm roles. Dynamic competition involves either attrition or preemption, the former being likelier with high demand growth and uncertainty. Industry value is maximized when firms neither stall nor hasten entry, and we show that social welfare has local maxima in both the attrition and preemption ranges. In all cases the socially optimal cost of imitation is positive. Attrition is optimal if consumer surplus rises sufficiently under duopoly, whereas with static business-stealing, preemption is optimal if discounting is important enough. Finally we discuss endogenous entry barriers and contracting, finding that firms are more likely to rely on secrecy and patents at low imitation costs and that simple licensing schemes are welfare improving.

Suggested Citation

  • Billette de Villemeur, Etienne & Ruble, Richard & Versaevel, Bruno, 2016. "When should a winner take all, or pay some? Innovation and imitation incentives in a dynamic duopoly," MPRA Paper 75465, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:75465
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Dynamic oligopoly; Knowledge spillover; Real options;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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