We distinguish between two forms of appropriability: primary appropriability— effectiveness in exploiting inventions as problem-solving mechanisms and capturing a share of their profits—and generative appropriability—effectiveness in exploiting inventions as concepts and capturing a share of the future inventions they spawn. Recognizing that generative appropriability has two components—cumulat...

In recent years, an increasing number of Chemical Engineering Software (CES), which play an important role in improving efficiency in the petroleum industry, has been introduced to the                market. Generally, software is the product of intellectual creativity, but protection of the intellectual property residing in software is the subject of some controversy.  This paper explores the ...

nowadays, business methods are among the most important assets of a company, protectable as an intellectual property right. different legal systems have, always, taken different approaches in this regard. although trade secrets are the most traditional form to protect business methods, the companies' willingness to patent inventions in this field has so increased that the significance and ...

Besides the research results achieved it is the registrations of inventions and patents granted that are an important gauge of the competency of our institute. Also in the year 2004 IFW was able to continue its successful activities in this field. As at 31 December 2004 the institute can boast of a total of 135 patents registered within Germany and 109 patents granted abroad. In the year 2004 a...

We examine variation in the concentration of inventive activity across 72 of North America’s most highly innovative locations. In 12 of these areas, innovation is particularly concentrated in a single large firm; we refer to such locations as “company towns.” We find that inventors employed by large firms in these locations tend to draw disproportionately from their firm’s own prior inventions ...

This paper seeks to understand the intriguing but only sparsely explored phenomenon of “leisure time invention,” where the main underlying idea for the new product or process occurs when the inventor is away from the workplace. We add to previous research by focussing on the inventive creativity of the individual researcher, and reassessing the image of researchers inventing during unpaid time ...