Patent Length and the Rate of Innovation

Andrew W Horowitz and Edwin Lai ()

International Economic Review, 1996, vol. 37, issue 4, 785-801

Abstract: This paper models the effect of patent length on the rate-of-innovation and consumer welfare. The authors find that the patent length that maximizes the rate-of-innovation exceeds that which maximizes consumer welfare. They show a countervailing effect of patent length upon the 'size' and 'frequency' of innovation. Longer patents increase the size, but decrease the frequency of innovation. The patent lengths that maximize the rate-of-innovation and welfare represent balance points between size and frequency. The divergence of the welfare maximizing and rate-of-innovation maximizing patent lengths has important policy implications that the authors briefly explore. Copyright 1996 by Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association.

Date: 1996
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ier:iecrev:v:37:y:1996:i:4:p:785-801

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