Information Technology and Trademarks: Implications for Product Variety
利用1987-1997年116家财富1000强制造企业的面板数据，研究发现信息技术投入越多，企业商标持有量越高，且商标更新更快、生命周期更短，表明信息技术能通过增加产品多样性创造商业价值。
This paper examines the relationship between information technology (IT) and trademarks. Using an 11-year panel data set (1987–1997) of IT capital stock, trademark holdings, and other measures for 116 Fortune 1000 manufacturing firms, we find that IT contributes to higher trademark holdings. Further, we find evidence suggesting that firms with more IT capital tend to apply for more new trademarks and retire existing trademarks more quickly, leading to a shorter trademark life cycle. Because trademarks are mainly used by firms to communicate differences among similar products to the marketplace, these results suggest that the business value of IT can be realized in greater product variety. This paper was accepted by Barrie Nault, information systems.