New research conducted by a group of intellectual property (IP) economists and legal experts, with support from IP Key (a project funded by the European Commission and co-financed by the European Union Intellectual Property Office), investigates the economic impacts, strategic objectives and legal structures of an emerging branch of government incentives conditioned on meeting IP-related requirements. Their findings are brought together in a new book entitled Economic Impacts of Intellectual Property-Conditioned Government Incentives (Springer, 2016). Amongst other conclusions, the book finds that a range of these "IP-conditioned government incentives" in China and Europe might be ineffective or even counterproductive in meeting their underlying objectives.

With the globalization of business, technology and IP play an increasing role in companies’ and countries’ ability to grow economically. And, in reaction to this evolving landscape, IP-conditioned incentives are one instrument governments have increasingly turned to in recent years to try and improve competitiveness.  

However, the workings and impacts of these incentives – ranging from patent fee subsidies and patent box tax deductions to inventor remuneration schemes – are under-researched. More research is needed to evaluate if governments are on the right track with their new competitiveness strategies using IP-conditioned government incentives, and, if off-track, how they can get on track.

The book analyses these issues using a diverse range of analytical methods, including econometric analyses, case studies and comparative legal analysis. It focuses on countries in Europe and China in particular, which are locations where IP-conditioned incentives appear to be both heavily utilized and increasingly criticized. Scholars, policymakers, and practitioners alike can benefit from the conceptual and practical insights as well as practical policy recommendations provided.

To buy the book from Springer, click here. For more information on the findings of the research, contact Dan Prud’homme at dan.prudhomme@ipkey.org