Journal of Economic Literature
ISSN 0022-0515 (Print) | ISSN 2328-8175 (Online)
The Choice between Formal and Informal Intellectual Property: A Review
Journal of Economic Literature
vol. 52,
no. 2, June 2014
(pp. 375–423)
Abstract
We survey the economic literature, both theoretical and empirical, on the choice of intellectual property protection by firms. Our focus is on the trade-offs between using patents and disclosing versus the use of secrecy, although we also look briefly at the use of other means of formal intellectual property protection.Citation
Hall, Bronwyn, Christian Helmers, Mark Rogers, and Vania Sena. 2014. "The Choice between Formal and Informal Intellectual Property: A Review." Journal of Economic Literature 52 (2): 375–423. DOI: 10.1257/jel.52.2.375Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D82 Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
- K11 Property Law
- O31 Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
- O34 Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital