Patents and Patent Policy
Posted: 25 Jun 2008
Date Written: Winter 2007
Abstract
A patent is the legal right of an inventor to exclude others from making or using a particular invention. This right is sometimes termed an ‘intellectual property right’ and is viewed as an incentive for innovation. This article surveys the evidence on patent effectiveness in encouraging innovation and reviews the current controversies in patent policy.
Keywords: patents, intellectual property, incentives, K11, L4, O34
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Hall, Bronwyn H., Patents and Patent Policy (Winter 2007). Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 23, Issue 4, pp. 568-587, 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1151148 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/grm037
Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
Marstallplatz 1
Munich, Bayern 80539
Germany
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