The analytical framework for assessing competition structure of IP market

Purpose Competition structure of intellectual property (IP) market reflects the overall effect of IP system impact on the relevant market, i.e. the status whether the incentive structure of IP system functions well. Assessing competition structure in IP market is to find out what’s wrong with the system and react appropriately within the legal framework of competition law. The purpose of this paper is trying to set up an analytical framework for assessing competition Structure of IP market. Design/methodology/approach This study is divided on a two-step theoretical construction. The first step is to set up a basic framework to assess the competition structure of IP market. And in the later future, the author will set up hierarchical indicia to evaluate the competition status of IP market in current China. This paper is the result of the first phrasal study. Findings The major finding is the theoretic framework to assess the competition structure of IP market, which includes: the basic condition and institutional infrastructure, the basic structure of IP market, the competitive process, the overall appraisal of competition performance, the criteria to determine whether a conduct is anticompetitive and the interaction among different factors. Originality/value Distinct from existing studies, this paper uses structure-conduct-performance paradigm as analytical tool to set up a theoretic framework to assess the competition structure of IP market.