A number of studies have been conducted with regard to the economic impact of intellectual property reform on economic growth. Majority of these studies, particularly works of an empirical nature, have focused on highly industrialized economies, with the findings supporting the conclusion that intellectual property rights (IPRs) have been economically beneficial to industrialized economies. Little research has been conducted on the economic benefit of IPR within developing countries. The current study considers the impact of IPR within ASEAN member countries to determine whether reform activities have been beneficial to IPR activity. The findings are mixed, suggesting that for some categories of IPR, reform activities have been beneficial while in other instances, regulatory reforms have not had a discernable impact. Additionally, the findings also indicate that intellectual property reform, where effective has been most effective in generating additional intellectual property activity, as measured by intellectual property applications, amongst non-residents, rather than amongst domestic registrants. This finding supports the conclusion that reform activities have engendered confidence amongst foreign firms and foreign nationals.
Nonobviousness and the Incentive to Innovate: An Economic Analysis of Intellectual Property Reform