own innovation. The analysis predicts that the willingness to enforce IPR is U-shaped in a country GDP: small … enforcement of IPR yields a higher level of innovation and global welfare only if the developing country does not innovate. A …

variety of first-mover advantages and that `imitation' is itself a costly activity. There is also accumulating evidence that …) regime, and explicitly characterise the circumstances in which an open approach, despite its effect on facilitating imitation …, results in a higher level of innovation. …

From a firm’s perspective two competing forces are driving the decision to invest in innovation. On the one hand …, innovative performance is an important driver of profitability and growth. On the other hand, investments in innovation suffer … from negative externalities, i.e. spillovers to other firms, and hence imitation could be induced. To preempt imitation …