DUMONT B. - Economics of Innovation and IPRs in the EU (20h)

The course aims at:

  •  Analyzing the economics mechanisms and institutions governing the production, use and diffusion of information and knowledge;
  •  Comparing these principles with the new realities of IPRs
  •  Questioning the effectiveness of innovation policies and intellectual property rights: What objectives should they pursue and with what types of instruments?

The content of the teaching will be both theoretical and empirical. The approach will be mainly based on economic principles and will focus on markets, incentives and strategic interactions. However, some legal aspects will be presented. The form adopted for this course will be deliberately interactive.

This course is also designed to familiarize the students with a “middle ground” regarding patents. It moves away from a “traditionalist” conception which, by insisting on the incentivizing role of patents, tends to neglect their informational role, especially as a signal. Without contesting the relative disconnect between the upward demography of patents and the significantly more moderate productivity gains, this course proposes an alternative interpretation to that of the “abolitionists.” It suggests that the position of patents within the system of innovation is renewing itself, with the shift toward a more fragmented, more intermediated innovation that is also more open, which guides the contemporary evolution of the most developed economies.

For more information, please consult the ECTS card.

Academic year
2022 - 2023
Semester
First semester
Course type
Compulsory courses
ECTS Points
4.00