Zum Aneignungsverhalten innovationsaktiver kleiner und mittlerer Unternehmen

Abstract

This paper examines recent contributions on innovation protection practices in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a specific focus on the role of intellectual property rights (IPRs). Several empirical findings and possible particularities on the appropriability of SME innovations are discussed. In this way, the paper contributes to the ongoing debate about whether the less frequent use of IPRs by smaller firms should necessarily give rise to public concern. In exploring this question, the paper takes into consideration that in addition to the resource and capability constraints that smaller firms face in coping with the formal IPR system, their less frequent use of IPRs could also be related to the specific nature of their appropriability regimes.