Foreign Direct Investments and Intellectual Property Rights. International Intangible Assets in Spain circa 1820–1939

Abstract

We devote this paper to reflecting on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) in the long run, particularly analyzing the case of Spain during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Although the interactions between IPRs and FDI have attracted significant research efforts in distinct economic and business areas, the results lack permanent answers. Our findings demonstrate that, from a macro-level perspective, 1) FDI and IPRs are effectively related in the long term; 2) weak IPR protection does not seem to have stopped FDI; and 3) the countries with major FDI in Spain were less worried about IPR management than others with less FDI.