The Choice between Formal and Informal Intellectual Property: A Review
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Open Access
- 1 June 2014
- journal article
- review article
- Published by American Economic Association in Journal of Economic Literature
- Vol. 52 (2) , 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. (JEL D82, K11, O31, O34)Keywords
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