This paper analyzes the effect of an increase in patent scope on R&D and innovation. It presents a model where patent … duplication of R&D. The model predicts that an increase in patent scope can increase the probability of innovation if the … large extent disappears. -- innovation ; patents ; patent policy ; licensing …

An innovative firm chooses strategically whether to patent its process innovation or rely on secrecy. By doing so, the … firm manages its rival’s beliefs about the size of the innovation, and affects the incentives in the product market … an innovative firm with unknown costs and probabilistic patent validity. Increasing the number of firms (degree of …