The Economics of Open Innovation

The Economics of Open Innovation (206 KB)

Published: 2013

Author: Adam Jaffe

Event: Open Access and Research Conference, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane

Adam Jaffe presented this talk to the Open Access and Research Conference at Queensland University of Technoloyg in 2013. In it he discussed:

  • Copyright protects expression, Patent protects functionality
  • Hence open access will not, cannot, allow “use” in functional sense, to the extent that the underlying research results are patented
  • Most countries permit universities to patent inventions from public research, and to license those patents on exclusive basis to private parties
  • So what might “open innovation” mean in a world in which inventions are protected by patents?