Intellectual Property Rights and the Ascent of Proprietary Innovation in Agriculture

Matthew Clancy and GianCarlo Moschini

Annual Review of Resource Economics, 2017, vol. 9, issue 1, 53-74

Abstract: Biological innovations in agriculture did not enjoy protection by formal intellectual property rights (IPRs) for a long time, but the recent trend has been one of considerable broadening and strengthening of these rights. We document the nature and evolution of these IPRs and provide an assessment of their impacts on innovation. We integrate elements of the institutional history of plant IPRs with a discussion of the relevant economic theory and a review of applicable empirical evidence. Throughout this review, we highlight how the experience of biological innovation mirrors or differs from the broader literature on IPRs and innovation. We conclude with some considerations on the relationship between IPRs, market structure, and the pricing of proprietary inputs in agriculture.

Keywords: appropriability; biotechnology; innovation; knowledge; market power; patents; plant breeders’ rights; plant patents; R&D; trade secrets (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O31 O34 Q16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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Working Paper: Intellectual Property Rights and the Ascent of Proprietary Innovation in Agriculture (2017)
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