This paper examines the relationship between intellectual property rights, business profitability and market concentration to provide an evidence base to support future competition and industry policy development.
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Office of the Chief Economist
Promoting awareness of IP economics
Our Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) was established in 2012 to better understand the role intellectual property (IP) plays in our economy.
Within the OCE we aim to understand the economic impact of IP laws and the effect of IP policies on innovation, competition, and economic performance. We are active participants in public policy debates related to IP and provide decision-makers with evidence-based advice to maximise the economic benefits of the Australian IP system.
Our main functions are to:
- conduct research investigating economic issues related to IP
- provide economic advice to assist IP Australia and other government agencies make informed evidence-based policy decisions.
IP Australia’s Chief Economist is Benjamin Mitra-Kahn.
Products and services
The Australian IP Report
The Australian IP Report is our annual flagship publication, providing a comprehensive overview of IP activity in Australia.
Read the current IP Report, or view previous editions.
Economic research papers
Through our research, we seek to advance the knowledge and evidence base upon which IP policy is built. The aim of our research program is to evaluate the economic impact of various components of the IP system, to inform evidence-based policy decisions within IP Australia and other government agencies.Researchers interested in our work or potential collaborations should email us at chiefeconomist@ipaustralia.gov.au.
Economic research papers
8 May 2020
This report aims to assess the impact of past policy changes and whether Australia’s design rights system is providing incentives for Australians to invest in design.
26 June 2019
This report aims to contribute insights into IP Australia’s ongoing policy analysis and review of the designs system.
26 June 2019
This report explores whether there is any evidence indicating trade mark cluttering in Australia and assesses how significantly it has been affecting the register.
5 October 2016
This report details the economic and econometric framework adopted in the current study conduced by the OCE in examining the relationship between the Grace Periods and Promoting Innovation.
30 June 2015
This paper uses an open database, Intellectual Property Government Open Data (IPGOD), which matches the Australian IP registries to firm level data, in combination with world patent databases to detail the patent filing activity and innovation areas in the mining sector.
30 March 2016
The Economic Impact of Innovation Patents report assesses how effective the innovation patent has been at achieving its objectives through analysis of applicant filing behaviour and a range of econometric tests. This report uses IP Australia’s administrative data to conduct an economic review of the innovation patent system.
20 December 2016
The goal of this study is to provide insights into how the market for design operates.
Our project is the first stage in mapping the dynamics and mechanisms of how the market for design operates. Our ultimate aim is to generate insights that inform how Australia might encourage the growth of design as a capability within firms.
2 April 2016
This report is an overview of the Intellectual Property Government Open Data.
2 April 2016
The Report on Patent Backlogs, Inventories and Pendency is the first in a new series of economic research papers.
1 May 2013
This report fills key gaps in the existing literature to review the economic impact of isolated human gene patents — their impact on incentives and disincentives to undertake and commercialise research.