Abstract
Do patents provide critical incentives to encourage investment in innovation? Or, instead, do patents impose legal risks and burdens on innovators that discourage innovation, as some critics now claim? This paper reviews empirical economic evidence on how well patents perform as a property system.

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James Bessen Contact Information

Research on Innovation
202 High Head Rd
Harpswell, ME 04079
USA
E-Mail: jbessen@researchoninnovation.org

Boston University School of Law
765 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
USA

Michael J. Meurer Contact Information

meurer@bu.edu
Boston University School of Law
765 Commonwealth Ave
Boston, MA 02215
USA
(617) 353-6292

Presentation and Publication Information:
SSRN: http://www.ssrn.com/abstract_id=1103143

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