Mergers of complements and entry in innovative industries

Federico Etro ()

International Journal of Industrial Organization, 2019, vol. 65, issue C, 302-326

Abstract: I study a merger between producers of complement inputs facing potential entry, with investment by the incumbents in deterministic cost reduction and by the entrants in probabilistic innovation, and then competition in prices. The merger solves Cournot complementarity problems in investment and pricing, which is what makes it profitable but also potentially anti-competitive. When the demand is inelastic the merger harms consumers by reducing R&D of the entrants if the incumbents are efficient enough (always when bundling is adopted). Instead, with a demand elastic enough, the merger increases consumer surplus (even with bundling).

Keywords: Mergers; R&D; Cournot complementarity; Bundling; Antitrust in high-tech industries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L1 L4 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Working Paper: Mergers of Complements and Entry in Innovative Industries (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:indorg:v:65:y:2019:i:c:p:302-326

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2019.04.004

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