A socially optimal structure of application and renewal fees for patents would encourage the maximal number of applications while reducing effective patent length. We find, however, that when patent offices are required to be self-funding, resource constraints can distort this fee structure....

In Medellin, Colombia, electricity prices follow an unusual system of rising block prices. The stated objective of the policy is to redistribute income. In this paper we calculate the degree of redistribution achieved relative to that of a horizontal price schedule. We also calculate the...

This paper derives elasticity estimates for the electricity demand of a cross section of residential customers in Medellin, Colombia, where prices follow a rising block scheme. It contrasts methods following Jerry Hausman (1979, 1985) with those based on Harvey Rosen (1976). To resolve the...