Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation And Software Technologies. The Economics of Monopoly Rights and Knowledge Disclosure

Elad Harison, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

The inclusion of software and algorithms in the scope of patents by the US Patent and Trademark Office has propelled an ongoing debate on the contribution of patents to innovation and economic growth. This book examines the effects of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), namely patents and copyrights, on innovation and technical change in information technologies. It provides new insights on the links between markets, technologies and legislation by applying a variety of empirical and analytical methods. The book also explores the success of the Open Source movement to establish an alternative regime for IPRs by illuminating the rationale behind it and illustrating how Open Source can strategically be used by firms.
Initially the book analyzes the role of IPRs by building upon the literature on the economics of innovation and technical change and on insights from evolutionary economics – in particular, the role of knowledge in the economy. It then goes on to analyze the evolution of IPR regimes and IPR policies with regards to IT and software technologies and products and elaborates their impact on innovation. Finally, a series of empirical and analytical models are provided to elaborate the balance between monopoly rights (by patent and copyrights) and knowledge disclosure as an input for innovation and technological development.
Elad Harison’s book will appeal to researchers and academics of law and economics, policymakers such as the European Commission, Patent offices, EPO, OECD, as well as directors and strategic managers in large software companies.

This book examines the effects of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), namely patents and copyrights, on innovation and technical change in information technologies. It provides new insights on the links between markets, technologies and legislation by applying a variety of empirical and analytical methods. The book also explores the success of the Open Source movement to establish an alternative regime for IPRs by illuminating the rationale behind it and illustrating how Open Source can strategically be used by firms.

Contents: 1. Introduction 2. The Economic Rationale of Intellectual Property Rights 3. The Role and Performance of IPRs 4. Revealing Obscure Sources 5. Benefiting from Intellectual Property and Free Disclosure 6. Designed for Innovation: The Structure of IPR Regimes 7. Owning Technology 8. Proposed Framework for Analyzing IPRs 9. Conclusions 10. References Appendix A: Proof of Propositions 5 and 6 Appendix B: Distribution of Patents Index

2008 240 pp Hardback 978 1 84720 582 7 £ 59.95 on-line discount £ 53.96

Su Giovanni d'Ammassa

Avvocato con studio in Milano dal 1997, coltiva sin dall'Università lo studio e l’insegnamento del diritto d’autore. Fonda Diritttodautore.it nel 1999. Appassionato chitarrista e runner.

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Giorgio Spedicato, Principi di diritto d’autore

In quanto disciplina giuridica dei processi e dei prodotti creativi attinenti al campo letterario, scientifico e artistico, il diritto d'autore non è rilevante solo per la formazione del giurista, ma anche per quella di numerose altre figure professionali principalmente riconducibili all'ambito umanistico.