In a model of sequential patent races, it is examined whether or not introducing a patent law in the home country is beneficial to the firms and the society as a whole given the foreign country already offers patent protection. Before the first patent race starts, the firms and the foreign...

When the home country introduces a patent law after the winner of the patent race is known the country's welfare may rise only if the domestic firm wins. If the home country decides before the patent race ends, the welfare may be increased when the probability that the domestic firm wins is...

The Innovation systems (IS) approach and the system failures it identifies, play an important role in the design and legitimization of innovation policy. This paper analyses the usefulness of this concept. We conclude that the IS-approach can be useful to visualize the complexity of the...

This paper surveys the economic literature on the links between finance, law and growth in the Central and Eastern European transition countries. The literature that is surveyed at the outset of the paper shows that if a financial system is based on an adequate legal system it can positively...

This paper analyses the development of the banking sector in twelve transition countries. Foreign banks have become major players in the financial system of these countries. Still, foreign bank presence and financial development in general vary considerably between these economies. Distance from...

Bien que les études théoriques et empiriques convergent sur la dimension financière dans la croissance économique, elles n’apportent pas une réponse commune à la question de l’interaction entre la libéralisation financière et la croissance économique. D'une part, la libéralisation...

From the 1950s to the mid-seventies, Iceland’s efforts in international diplomacy were largely devoted to convincing other nations that Icelanders should control and utilise the resources of the waters within 12, then 50 and finally 200 nautical miles around the island. During the last quarter...

In the standard moral hazard model, withholding of effort by the agent is not observable to the principal. We argue that this assumption has to be changed in applications that study corruption. The overwhelming majority of cases where corrupt politicians have been punished involve the detection...

A presente comunicação preparada para o III Congresso de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, que decorreu em Setembro de 2002. Nesta comunicação visa- se identificar novas actividades empresariais, em emergência, que possam resultar da dinamização de uma área de enorme potencialidade na...

A presente comunicação preparada para o III Congresso de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, que decorreu em Setembro de 2002. Nesta comunicação visa- se identificar novas actividades empresariais, em emergência, que possam resultar da dinamização de uma área de enorme potencialidade na...