Using a vertical differentiation model of endogenous growth with stochastic R&D activity, we characterise the optimal patent lifetime a government would set in order to maximise economic growth. We show that a finite patent lifetime does exist and is unique provided that the expected rate of...

The legal monopoly granted by the patent system has often been criticized for its inefficiency, which is exacerbated by the peculiarities of knowledge as a public good. In this paper we aim at studying more deeply the latter concern. Hence we build a model in which monopolistic exploitation does...

An endogenous growth model is developed where each period firms invest in researching and developing new ideas. An idea increases a firm's productivity. By how much depends on how central the idea is to a firm's activity. Ideas can be bought and sold on a market for patents. A firm can sell an...

Using a vertical differentiation model of endogenous growth with stochastic R&D activity, we characterise the optimal patent lifetime a government would set in order to maximise economic growth. We show that a finite patent lifetime does exist and is unique provided that the expected rate of...

We analyze recent contributions to growth theory based on the model of expanding variety of Romer [Romer, P. (1990). “Endogenous technological change”. Journal of Political Economy 98, 71–102]. In the first part, we present different versions of the benchmark linear model with imperfect...

We consider an endogenous growth model with two sectors: an intermediate input (or "upstream") sector and a final product (or "downstream") sector. Innovation takes place in both sectors. Following Gilbert and Shapiro (1990), we define patent breadth as the ability of the innovator to reap...

This paper attempts to explain the growth of labour productivity through (inter)national spillovers from R&D and patenting. We develop a model that is tested for Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America using a new set of panel data for the period 1955 until 1991. The...

Modeling the spatial aspect of growth has finally become an important subject of economics as exemplified by the increasing popularity of the new economic geography. However, new economic geography models have still not been able to develop a consistent approach to integrate innovation, space...

Although the process of innovation is a crucial aspect of economic growth, there is less clarity about the measurement of economically useful ideas. Determining the extent to which different types of institutions contribute to the creation of new knowledge is essential for a deeper understanding...

We construct a tractable general equilibrium model of cumulative innovation and growth, in which new ideas strictly improve upon frontier technologies, and productivity improvements are drawn in a stochastic manner. The presence of positive knowledge spillovers implies that the decentralized...