Abstract
The evolution of patents and copyrights followed different paths over time and across countries. Initially, intellectual property rules were endogenously determined according to social and economic priorities in each society. International patent laws subsequently were heavily influenced by early American policies that favoured the rights of original inventors. By contrast, US copyrights were among the weakest in the world; international copyright laws converged towards European doctrines that were based on non-economic rationales for inherent authors’ rights. The intellectual property system in the 21st century therefore constitutes an anomaly, since previously no country simultaneously adhered to strong patent rights and strong copyrights.
This chapter was originally published in The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd edition, 2008. Edited by Steven N. Durlauf and Lawrence E. Blume.
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Khan, Z. (2008). Intellectual Property, History of. In: The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95121-5_2514-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95121-5_2514-1
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Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
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