Optimal patentability requirements with complementary innovations

Vincenzo Denicolo' () and Christine Halmenschlager

European Economic Review, 2012, vol. 56, issue 2, 190-204

Abstract: We study optimal patent design, contrasting the case that two or more innovations are needed to operate a new technology with the traditional case that a single innovation is directly commercialisable. The major finding is that with complementary innovations the patentability requirements should be stronger than in the case of stand-alone innovation. This reduces the fragmentation of intellectual property, which is socially costly. However, to preserve the incentives to innovate, if a patent is granted the strength of protection should be generally higher than in the stand-alone case.

Keywords: Patents; Complementary innovations; Patentability requirements; Fragmentation of intellectual property rights (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L1 O3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:56:y:2012:i:2:p:190-204

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2011.09.004

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