For digital information goods, economic logic seems to demand price discrimination which in turn seems to demand an implementation in the form of Digital Rights Management (DRM). The article critiques this attitude, using the recent Sony BMG rootkit case as an example. It tries to break through...

Die Arbeit hat zum Ziel, ein grundlegendes ökonomisches Verständnis für die Struktur und Funktionsweise des Musikmarktes zu vermitteln, der sich aktuell in einer Umbruchphase befindet. Systematische industrieökonomische Analysen, die den Einfluss digitaler Technologien auf die Musikindustrie...

Die Softwarebranche beklagt sich ?ber durch Raubkopien verursachte Sch?den in H?he von mehreren Miliarden Euro. In diesem Zusammenhang wird oft die Forderung laut, das Internet m?sse besser ?berwacht werden, um die zunehmende Verbreitung von Raubkopien einzud?mmen. Erg?nzend verlangen viele...

There is an evolution in the process used by standards-developmentorganizations (SDOs) and this is changing the prevailing standardsdevelopment activity (SDA) for information and communications technology(ICT). The process is progressing from traditional SDA modes, typicallyinvolving the...

There is little empirical evidence concerning the effects of intellectual property rights (IPR) on a technologically advanced developing country. Complete enumeration of the Mexican maize breeding industry showed that, contrary to the hypothesis that IPR would provide, in a technologically...

We develop a new partial equilibrium, four-region world trade model for the soybean complex comprising soybeans, soybean oil, and soybean meal. In the model, some consumers view genetically modified Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and products as weakly inferior to conventional ones; the RR seed is...

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This paper studies how the strength of intellectual property rights (IPRs) affects investments in biological innovations when the value of an innovation is stochastically reduced to zero because of the evolution of pest resistance. We frame the problem as a research and development (R&D)...

Notwithstanding the ambiguous research and productivity promoting effects of plant varietyprotections (PVPs), even in developed countries, many developing countries have adoptedPVPs in the past few years to comply with their Trade-Related Aspects of IntellectualProperty Rights (TRIPS)...