A Two-Staged Approach to Technology Entrepreneurship: Differential Effects of Intellectual Property Rights

Abstract

In this article we examine how the strength of the intellectual property rights (IPR) regime drives technology entrepreneurship innovation (TEI). The latter is comprised of novel unfamiliar technological products and new business models, which in turn lead to new product-market combinations. We consider TEI to be a two-stage process that involves access to and use of new technologies and technological resources by entrepreneurs. While stronger IPR may constrain easy availability of new technologies and technological resources for entrepreneurs, using technology itself helps lead to TEI. We suggest that stronger IPR regimes could lead to TEI. The positive effect of TEI is felt through easier accessibility to the latest technologies and technology resources by entrepreneurs. Our model contributes to understanding the effect of strong IPR regimes on different stages of the innovation process. Intellectual-property rules are clearly necessary to spur innovation: if every invention could be stolen, or every new drug immediately copied, few people would invest in innovation. But too much protection can strangle competition and can limit what economists call 'incremental innovation' innovations that build, in some way, on others.