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© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. Reward Theory: Patent William Fisher

Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

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Page 1: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Reward Theory: Patent

William Fisher

Page 2: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 3: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 4: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 5: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 6: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

Who Are Your Customers?

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 7: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Daron Rahlves

Page 8: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Sam

Page 9: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Brandon

Page 10: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Page 11: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Marginal Cost

Page 12: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Marginal Cost

Willingness and ability to pay of consumer X

P(D)

D

Page 13: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

Willingness and ability to pay of consumer Y

P(D)

D

Page 14: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

Willingness and ability to pay of consumer Z

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 15: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

Aggregate Consumer Demand

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 16: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

What will happen if I do not have IP protection?

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 17: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 18: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 19: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 20: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 21: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 22: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 23: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 24: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 25: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Page 26: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B Q

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

Page 27: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Market for Knee Brace

$

Quantity

P(S)

S

Marginal Cost

In the absence of patent, copying and competition will drive the price down close to marginal cost

P(D)

D

P(B)

B

Resultant Consumer Surplus

Q

Page 28: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

•  By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic

•  If there are no close substitutes for the invention, the patent gives the innovator market power

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 29: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Improved Knee Brace

Page 30: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Improved Knee Brace

Page 31: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

•  By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic

•  If there are no close substitutes for the invention, the patent gives the innovator market power

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 32: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

•  By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic

•  If there are no close substitutes for the invention, the patent gives the innovator market power

•  He can then set a price without fear of corrosion through competition

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 33: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

•  By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic

•  If there are no close substitutes for the invention, the patent gives the innovator market power

•  He can then set a price without fear of corrosion through competition

•  Assume, for the moment, he charges all consumers the same price

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 34: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 35: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 36: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 37: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

Revenues

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 38: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

Costs

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 39: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

Profits

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 40: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 41: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

q

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 42: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

q

v

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 43: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

q

v

Revenue loss

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 44: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

q

v

Revenue loss

Revenue gain

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 45: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

q

v

Profits

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 46: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

q

v

r

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 47: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

q

v

r

w

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 48: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

q

v

r

w

Revenue loss

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 49: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

q

v

r

w

Revenue loss

Revenue gain

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 50: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

p

u

q

v

r

w

Profit

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 51: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

O

A

I

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 52: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

C G

H

Marginal Cost

Marginal Revenue

O

A

I

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 53: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Marginal Cost

Marginal Revenue

O

A

I

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 54: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Marginal Cost

Profit-maximizing output

Prof

it-m

axim

izin

g pr

ice

Marginal Revenue

O

A

I

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 55: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Marginal Cost

Profit-maximizing output

Prof

it-m

axim

izin

g pr

ice

Monopoly Profits

Marginal Revenue

O

A

I

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 56: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 57: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Page 58: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 1: Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Marginal Cost

Profit-maximizing output

Prof

it-m

axim

izin

g pr

ice

Monopoly Profits

Marginal Revenue

O

A

I

In the absence of Price Discrimination

Page 59: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 2: Economic Effects of Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Marginal Cost

Profit-maximizing output

Prof

it-m

axim

izin

g pr

ice

Monopoly Profits

O

A

I

Consumer Surplus

Page 60: Reward Theory: Patent - Harvard University Theory Patent.pdf• By obtaining a patent, the innovator can prevent this dynamic • If there are no close substitutes for the invention,

© 2008, William Fisher. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Figure 2: Economic Effects of Profit-Maximizing Behavior by a Patentee

$

Quantity

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Marginal Cost

Profit-maximizing output

Prof

it-m

axim

izin

g pr

ice

Monopoly Profits

O

A

I

Consumer Surplus

Deadweight Loss (foregone consumer surplus)

E