Fostering the Diffusion of General Purpose Technologies: Evidence from the Licensing of the Transistor Patents*

Nagler M, Schnitzer M, Watzinger M (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Journal of Industrial Economics Wiley-Blackwell

DOI: 10.1111/joie.12311

Abstract

How do licensing and technology transfer influence the spread of General Purpose Technologies? To answer this question, we analyze the diffusion of the transistor, one of the most important technologies of our time. We show that the transistor diffusion and cross-technology spillovers increased dramatically after AT&T began licensing its transistor patents along with symposia to educate follow-on inventors in 1952. Both these symposia and the licensing of the patents itself played important roles in the diffusion. A subsequent reduction in royalties did not lead to further increases, suggesting that licensing and technology transfer were more important than specific royalty rates.

Authors with CRIS profile

Markus Nagler Professur für Arbeitsmarkt- und Innovationsökonomik

Involved external institutions

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) DE Germany (DE) Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) Münster DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Nagler, M., Schnitzer, M., & Watzinger, M. (2023). Fostering the Diffusion of General Purpose Technologies: Evidence from the Licensing of the Transistor Patents*. Journal of Industrial Economics. https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joie.12311

MLA:

Nagler, Markus, Monika Schnitzer, and Martin Watzinger. "Fostering the Diffusion of General Purpose Technologies: Evidence from the Licensing of the Transistor Patents*." Journal of Industrial Economics (2023).

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