Does Intellectual Monopoly Help Innovation?
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Michele Boldrin
Abstract
In this paper, we begin our analysis of copyrights and patents by asking: why should creators have the right to control how purchasers make use of an idea or new good? This gives creators a monopoly over the idea. We refer to this right as “intellectual monopoly,” to emphasize that it is this monopoly over all copies of an idea that is controversial, not the right to buy and sell copies. The government does not ordinarily enforce monopolies for producers of other goods. This is because it is widely recognized that monopoly creates many social costs. Intellectual monopoly is no different in this respect. The question we address is whether it also creates social benefits commensurate with these social costs.
©2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- Introduction: The Kauffman Foundation Conference on Intellectual Property and Innovation
- Does Intellectual Monopoly Help Innovation?
- A Cautious Defense of Intellectual Oligopoly With Fringe Competition
- Evaluating the Economic Performance of Property Systems
- Copyright Abolition and Attribution
- A Rhetorical Response to Boldrin & Levine: Against Intellectual (Property) Extremism
- Watt, Again? Boldrin and Levine Still Exaggerate the Adverse Effect of Patents on the Progress of Steam Power
- Responding to the Challenges of "Against Intellectual Monopoly"
- A Recommendation on How to Intelligently Approach Emerging Problems in Intellectual Property Systems
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- Introduction: The Kauffman Foundation Conference on Intellectual Property and Innovation
- Does Intellectual Monopoly Help Innovation?
- A Cautious Defense of Intellectual Oligopoly With Fringe Competition
- Evaluating the Economic Performance of Property Systems
- Copyright Abolition and Attribution
- A Rhetorical Response to Boldrin & Levine: Against Intellectual (Property) Extremism
- Watt, Again? Boldrin and Levine Still Exaggerate the Adverse Effect of Patents on the Progress of Steam Power
- Responding to the Challenges of "Against Intellectual Monopoly"
- A Recommendation on How to Intelligently Approach Emerging Problems in Intellectual Property Systems
