Patent Systems for Encouraging Innovation: Lessons from Economic Analysis

Economic theory views patents as policy instruments aimed at fostering innovation and diffusion. Three major implications are drawn regarding current policy debates. First, patents may not be the most effective means of protection for inventors to recover R&D investments when imitation is costly and first mover advantages are important. Second, patentability requirements, such as novelty or non-obviousness, should be sufficiently stringent to avoid the grant of patents for inventions with low social value that increase the social cost of the patent system. Third, the trade-off between the patent policy instruments of length and breadth could be used to provide sufficient incentives to develop inventions with high social value. Beyond these three implications, economic theory also pleads for a mechanism design approach: an optimal patent system could be based on a menu of different degrees of patent protection where stronger protection would involve higher fees, allowing self-selection by inventors.Patent subject matter, patentability requirements, sequential innovation, incentive mechanism, license fee

Proceso de simbolización del concepto de potencia : análisis de libros de texto de secundaria

En este trabajo se presenta un estudio del desarrollo del sistema de signos del concepto de potencia en los libros de texto de matemáticas de educación secundaria obligatoria. Se analiza el tratamiento que los textos promueven de los contenidos conceptuales y procedimentales asociados a la idea de potencia. Para ello se seleccionan «dominios de actividad matemática» (Mamona-Downs y Downs, 2002) que caracterizan el concepto y se relacionan con las «etapas del proceso de abstracción» asociado al desarrollo de los signos matemáticos en el sentido que propone Socas (1997). El análisis permite identificar las características del concepto y la ausencia de aspectos relevantes del significado de potencia que ponen de manifiesto los libros de texto analizados.This paper studies the development of sign systems associated with the concept of power presented in secondary school Mathematics textbooks. The treatment that texts provide of the conceptual and procedural contents associated to the concept of power is analysed in this work. For this objective, we have selected «Mathematical activity domains» (Mamona-Downs & Downs, 2002) which characterizes the concept, connecting it with the development of abstraction process stages of mathematical signs as described by Socas (1997). This analysis allows us to identify features of the concept and the lack of relevant aspects of the meaning of the concept of powe

Valoración de la calidad biológica de los ríos: claves de identificación para la enseñanza secundaria

Siguiendo las directrices da las Naciones Unidas en pro del estudie, conservación y mejora del agua dulce, preponemos una clave da determinación da lea macroinvertebrados acuáticos para valorar la calidad biológica da lea ríos, con espacial atención a lea bioindicadores. Con elle pretendamos disminuir las dificultades existentes en las aulas, y facilitar la realización da proyectos dirigidos al alumnado de enseñanza secundaria

Patent Systems for Encouraging Innovation: Lessons from Economic Analysis

International audienceEconomic theory views patents as policy instruments aimed at fostering innovation and diffusion. Three major implications are drawn regarding current policy debates. First, patents may not be the most effective means of protection for inventors to recover R&D investments when imitation is costly and first mover advantages are important. Second, patentability requirements, such as novelty or non-obviousness, should be sufficiently stringent to avoid the grant of patents for inventions with low social value that increase the social cost of the patent system. Third, the trade-off between the patent policy instruments of length and breadth could be used to provide sufficient incentives to develop inventions with high social value. Beyond these three implications, economic theory also pleads for a mechanism design approach: an optimal patent system could be based on a menu of different degrees of patent protection where stronger protection would involve higher fees, allowing self-selection by inventors

Impresión 3D para efectores flexibles

Local 3D printing in industry and academia has driven development of tailored devices that facilitate mechatronic design systems of varying order of complexity. One of the favored fields is robotics, where design of flexible effectors drives assistive systems to adjust to the needs of the user and the grip of a wide variety of objects. Thus, design and printing of two-finger robotic effector in polylactic acid that can be manipulated by servo-controlled actuators using microcontrolled systems is presented, managing to generate semicircular and circular object grips with a deformation close to 2.5 mm.La impresión 3D de forma local en industria y academia ha impulsado el desarrollo de dispositivos a la medida que facilitan el diseño mecatrónico de sistemas de variado orden de complejidad. Uno de los campos favorecidos es la robótica, donde el diseño de efectores flexibles impulsa sistemas asistenciales para ajustarse a las necesidades del usuario y el agarre de gran variedad de objetos. Se presenta así el diseño e impresión de un efector robótico de dos dedos en ácido polilactico manipulable mediante actuadores servocontrolados mediante sistemas microcontrolados, logrando generar agarres de objeto semicirculares y circulares con una deformación cercana a los 2.5 mm