Patents and the Diffusion of Technical Information
Posted: 18 Jan 2005
There are 2 versions of this paper
Patents and the Diffusion of Technical Information
Number of pages: 14
Posted: 16 Mar 2004
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Abstract
Does the disclosure requirement of the patent system encourage the diffusion of inventions? This paper builds a simple model where firms choose between patents and trade secrecy to protect inventions. Diffusion is not necessarily more likely with a patent system nor is the "market for technology" necessarily greater.
Keywords: Patents, innovation, diffusion, trade secrecy
JEL Classification: K3, L5, O3
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Bessen, James E., Patents and the Diffusion of Technical Information. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=650101
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