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Paying off the Competition: Contracting, Market Power, and Innovation Incentives

Author

Listed:
  • Xuelin Li
  • Andrew W. Lo
  • Richard T. Thakor

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between a firm’s legal contracting environment and its innovation incentives. Using granular data from the pharmaceutical industry, we examine a contracting mechanism through which incumbents maintain market power: “pay-for-delay” agreements to delay the market entry of competitors. Exploiting a shock where such contracts become legally tenuous, we find that affected incumbents subsequently increase their innovation activity across a variety of project-level measures. Exploring the nature of this innovation, we also find that it is more “impactful” from a scientific and commercial standpoint. The results provide novel evidence that restricting the contracting space can boost innovation at the firm level. However, at the extensive margin we find a reduction in innovation by new entrants in response to increased competition, suggesting a nuanced effect on aggregate innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Xuelin Li & Andrew W. Lo & Richard T. Thakor, 2021. "Paying off the Competition: Contracting, Market Power, and Innovation Incentives," NBER Working Papers 28964, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28964
    Note: CF EH LE PR
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Steinbach, Sandro & Graziano, Marcello & Connolly, Cristina, 2024. "David versus Goliath: The Impact of Corporate Expansion in the Alcohol Retail Industry on Small-Scale Retailers," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343800, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Zhijun Chen & Chongwoo Choe & Jiajia Cong & Noriaki Matsushima, 2022. "Data‐driven mergers and personalization," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 53(1), pages 3-31, March.
    3. Soltanzadeh, Javad & Blind, Knut & Elyasi, Mehdi, 2023. "Exploring how regulators face platform business issues in the lifecycle stages: Evidence of iranian ride-hailing platform business," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(7).
    4. Graef, Inge & Prüfer, Jens, 2021. "Governance of data sharing: A law & economics proposal," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(9).
    5. Andrea Coveri & Claudio Cozza & Dario Guarascio, 2021. "Monopoly Capitalism in the Digital Era," Working Papers in Public Economics 209, Department of Economics and Law, Sapienza University of Roma.
    6. Groh, Carl-Christian, 2023. "Search, Data, and Market Power," VfS Annual Conference 2023 (Regensburg): Growth and the "sociale Frage" 277701, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. repec:ags:aaea22:335481 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Decarolis, Francesco & Li, Muxin, 2023. "Regulating online search in the EU: From the android case to the digital markets act and digital services act," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    9. Lo, Andrew W. & Thakor, Richard T., 2023. "Financial intermediation and the funding of biomedical innovation: A review," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    10. Prado, Tiago S., 2022. "Safeguarding Competition in Digital Markets: A Comparative Analysis of Emerging Policy and Regulatory Regimes," 31st European Regional ITS Conference, Gothenburg 2022: Reining in Digital Platforms? Challenging monopolies, promoting competition and developing regulatory regimes 265666, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    11. Haucap, Justus & Stiebale, Joel, 2023. "Non-price effects of mergers and acquisitions," DICE Discussion Papers 402, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    12. Mansour Naser Alraja & Faris Alshubiri & Basel M. Khashab & Mahmood Shah, 2023. "The financial access, ICT trade balance and dark and bright sides of digitalization nexus in OECD countries," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 13(2), pages 177-209, June.
    13. Zhang, Tianyu, 2023. "Peer effects in R&D investment based on interlock network: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D42 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Monopoly
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • K21 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Antitrust Law
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
    • L43 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Legal Monopolies and Regulation or Deregulation
    • L65 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Chemicals; Rubber; Drugs; Biotechnology; Plastics
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

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