Enforcing Intellectual Property Rights in Weak Appropriability Regimes : The Case of de Facto Protection Strategies in China
Journal
Management International Review
ISSN
0938-8249
ISSN-Digital
1861-8901
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2010-02-01
Author(s)
Abstract
Many emerging economies are characterised by weak appropriability systems and absent legal systems to punish imitators. This places foreign firms' intellectual property rights at risk, because existing appropriation methods, such as patents or secrecy, cannot function effectively. This concern especially applies to China, the empirical context of this article.
Such adverse conditions force managers to devise new strategies to safeguard their firms' intellectual property rights. Yet no evidence describes whether strategies exist, which forms they take, how they have evolved or how they get implemented.
This article addresses this knowledge gap and explores strategies that managers have developed to achieve de facto protection, despite China's weak appropriability system. The analysis systematically explores 13 cases of foreign firms with wholly owned subsidiaries in China.
The findings confirm that de facto strategies exist, describe how they work and detail how they were achieved. The findings suggest implications for both managers and academics.
Such adverse conditions force managers to devise new strategies to safeguard their firms' intellectual property rights. Yet no evidence describes whether strategies exist, which forms they take, how they have evolved or how they get implemented.
This article addresses this knowledge gap and explores strategies that managers have developed to achieve de facto protection, despite China's weak appropriability system. The analysis systematically explores 13 cases of foreign firms with wholly owned subsidiaries in China.
The findings confirm that de facto strategies exist, describe how they work and detail how they were achieved. The findings suggest implications for both managers and academics.
Funding(s)
New theoretical perspectives for international innovation: Research gaps and the need for intrafirm information
Language
English
Keywords
Intellectual property rights · China · Appropriability regime ·
De facto protection strategies
De facto protection strategies
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Gabler Verlag
Publisher place
Wiesbaden
Volume
50
Number
1
Start page
109
End page
130
Pages
22
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
58983