Optimal Licensing in a Spatial Model

We analyze a multi-stage non-cooperative game involving an outside patent-holder, who seeks to licence a process innovation, and two price-setting firms located on a circumference. Three licensing policies are studied: the auction, the fixed fee and the per unit output royalty. The main finding is that, contrary to standard results, royalties yield higher payoffs to the patent-holder than do an auction policy or a fixed fee policy regardless of the size of the innovation. Besides, a conflict between private and social interests arises since consumers are better off when the technology is licensed via fees.