Patent pools and innovation in substitute technologies�evidence from the 19th-century sewing machine industry

• Autores: Ryan Lampe, Petra Moser
• Localización: The Rand Journal of Economics, ISSN-e 1756-2171, Vol. 44, Nº. 4, 2013, págs. 757-778
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Patent pools, which combine complementary patents of competing firms, are expected to increase overall welfare but potentially discourage innovation in substitutes for the pool technology. This article exploits a new historical data set on changes in patenting and firm entry for a clearly defined pool technology and substitutes in the 19th-century sewing machine industry. This analysis reveals a substantial increase in innovation for an�albeit technologically inferior�substitute technology. Historical evidence suggests that the creation of a pool-diverted innovation toward an inferior substitute technology by creating differential license fees and litigation risks.