Optimal value of a patent in an asymmetric Cournot duopoly market

摘要

We study how to transfer a patented innovation to competing firms. We consider a Cournot duopoly market with asymmetric pre-innovation costs and an independent patent holder who is not a producer in the market. There are two kinds of cost reducing innovations: "common innovation" and "new technology innovation". We show that the best way to transfer an innovation for the patent holder is to sell the patent to the efficient firm at a fixed payment who would further license the innovation to its rival. This patent sale dominates all other methods of licensing for both kinds of innovations. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.