In this illuminating monograph, Thomas Cheng offers valuable and nuanced insights into the significance of the patent-competition interface in developing countries. He skillfully explores the different trade-offs and technological capacities that characterize developing countries, and the way these ought to affect policy choices and implementation. A significant and detailed contribution to our understanding of the role of innovation and technology in developing countries, and the means to optimize them.
Ariel Ezrachi,, Slaughter & May Professor of Competition Law, University of Oxford
Patent policy is supposed to incentivize innovation and commercialization of new goods in return for a period of exclusive use, which could support monopoly power. Competition policy is aimed partially at offsetting this power to safeguard the interests of consumers. This inherent tension has long been evident in rich and technologically advanced countries. However, few scholars have analyzed the relevant tradeoffs in developing economies, where innovation and purchasing power are fundamentally different. Thomas Cheng's book is a comprehensive and novel treatment of these complex issues, combining deep legal scholarship with a sound understanding of economic incentives to craft a rich and nuanced approach to this vital, yet so far neglected, policy frontier. This is a landmark volume, which should be read closely by all scholars in intellectual property, competition, and innovation economics.
Keith E. Maskus, Professor of Economics, University of Colorado Boulder