INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

I study the role of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in a model of endogenous growth with sequential innovation. The model mimics the innovation process in hi-tech sectors where many of the techniques and products used in R&D are recent discoveries themselves. Depending on the structure of the patent system, some of these discoveries might still be protected by a patent. In this context IPRs affect both the revenues and the cost of the innovation. I use a dynamic general equilibrium model to study the efficient patent length and its properties.