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The Development Impact of IP: Economic Studies

This article discusses the strategic realignment within WIPO and the importance of economic analysis on intellectual property (IP). It explores the need for economic analysis in understanding the trade-offs and optimizing IP protection. The article also highlights the increased reliance on the IP system for fostering innovation and addresses global challenges such as public health, food security, and climate change. It identifies the target audience for economic analysis on IP, which includes policymakers and the economics profession. The article proposes elements towards an economic research agenda, with a focus on providing high-quality empirical information and analysis to inform policymaking, particularly for developing countries. It emphasizes the need for both global and national studies, as well as the importance of quality analysis through transparency, methodologies, and peer review. The article concludes by acknowledging that building research capacity and finding definite answers to complex IP policy questions will take time, but there is scope for making informed contributions.

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The Development Impact of IP: Economic Studies

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  1. The Development Impact of IP: Economic Studies Building Partnerships for Mobilizing Resources for Development, Geneva, November 5 & 6, 2009 Carsten Fink Chief Economist Economic Studies, Statistics, and Analysis Division

  2. Overview • Strategic Realignment within WIPO • Why economic analysis on IP? • For whom? • Elements towards an economic research agenda • Quality of analysis • Final remarks

  3. Strategic realignment within WIPO Economic Studies, Statistics, and Analysis Division WIPO Chief Economist IP Statistics Section Economic Studies Section

  4. Why economic analysis on IP? • Ultimately, the formulation and implementation of an IP system is an element of economic policy • Optimizing IP protection entails economic trade-offs, which need to be understood at the conceptual and empirical levels • Contribution of economic analysis: • Mathematical modeling: making explicit assumptions about how the world works • Empirical investigations

  5. Why economic analysis on IP? • Increased reliance on the IP system to foster innovation; increased share of “knowledge-based” value added • IP and global challenges • Public health • Food security • Climate change => Increased need for economic analysis on IP => More and more IP offices hire economists

  6. For whom? “Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back.” John Maynard KeynesThe General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1936)

  7. For whom? • Policymakers: • Support operation of patent offices • Offer input in IP policy reform processes • Economics profession • General public

  8. Elements towards an economic research agenda • Overall objective: high quality empirical information and analysis to inform policymakers on the economic effects of the intellectual property (IP) system, particularly with respect to developing countries. • Global studies element • Analyze technology, business, and policy-driven trends affecting all WIPO Member countries • Publish annual World Intellectual Property Report

  9. Elements towards an economic research agenda • National studies element • Mandate: recommendations 35 and 37 of WIPO Development Agenda • Focus on needs of policymakers in developing countries • Strong empirical focus, including the creation of new databases • Work with researchers in developing countries

  10. Quality of analysis “Overall, while local economies may experience significant speculative price imbalances, a national severe price distortion [in home properties] seems most unlikely in the United States, given its size and diversity.” Alan GreenspanOctober 19, 2004

  11. Quality of analysis • Nobody can predict the future! • Transparency of methodologies and modeling approaches • Institution of quality control mechanisms: • Academic peer review

  12. Final remarks • Building economic research capacity and delivering credible studies will take time • Empirical research can be resource intensive • Finding definite answers to some of the “big” questions is probably elusive • There is much scope to make informed contributions to specific IP policy questions

  13. Thank you!carsten.fink@wipo.int

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