LICENSING ‘WEAK’ PATENTS*
研究了在诉讼威胁下许可“弱”专利的最优策略，发现专利持有者的最优两阶段收费许可可能阻止或引发诉讼，并探讨了许可收入是否过度补偿专利持有者，最后提出缓解“弱”专利许可危害的政策工具。
In this paper, we revisit the issue of licensing ‘weak’ patents under the shadow of litigation. Departing from the seminal paper by Farrell and Shapiro [2008] , we consider innovations of any size and not only ‘small’ innovations, and we allow the number of licensees to be less than the number of firms in the downstream industry. It is shown that the optimal two‐part tariff license from the patent holder's perspective may either deter or trigger litigation, and conditions under which each case arises are provided. We also reexamine the claim that the licensing revenues from ‘weak’ patents overcompensate the patent holder relative to what a natural benchmark would command. Finally we suggest two policy levers that may alleviate the harm raised by the licensing of ‘weak’ patents.