El papel de los derechos de propiedad intelectual en el crecimiento económico

Abstract

Intellectual property rights are an important element of the new theories of endogenous growth. Because of their special relationship to human capital, intellectual property protection may influence innovative activity and technological progress in critical ways. An important question for many countries is whether stricter enforcement of intellectual property is a good strategy for economic growth. This paper examines the role of intellectual property rights in economic growth, utilizing cross-country data on patent protection, trade regime, and country-specific characteristics. The evidence suggests that intellectual property protection is positively related to economic growth. These effects appear to be slightly stronger in relatively open economies and are robust to both the measure of openness used and to other alternative model specifications.