About the Book

There exists a vast body of literature on all aspects associated with patents, including innovation, patent policy instruments, licensing, and the tension between patent policy and competition policy. However, most of the works focusing on patent policy are only available as journal articles or as reprints in book collections. This book bridges that gap in presenting a systematic overview of models dedicated to patent policy.

Firstly, the reader is presented with an extensive survey of the history of patent systemsand modern patent law. Secondly, the book aims to present existing models of patent policy in a systematic way.

Lastly, the external effects associated with the creation of knowledge are not restricted to a nation's boundaries. Two examples are thus presented, where virtually identical countries choose different policy instruments, emphasizing the need for patent policy in open economies to be more extensively studied.