Product Innovation in a Vertically Differentiated Model

Abstract

We study the licensing incentives of an independent input producer owning a patented product innovation which allows the downstream firms to improve the quality of their final goods. We consider a general two-part tariff contract for both outside and incumbent innovators. We find that technology diffusion critically depends on the nature of market competition (Cournot vs. Bertrand). Moreover, the vertical merger with either downstream firm is always privately pro table and it is welfare improving for large innovations: this implies that not all pro table mergers should be rejected.