Hippel, Eric von; von Krogh, Georg --- "Open Innovation and the Private-collective Model for Innovation Incentives" [2011] ELECD 550; in Dreyfuss, C. Rochelle; Strandburg, J. Katherine (eds), "The Law and Theory of Trade Secrecy" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011)

Book Title: The Law and Theory of Trade Secrecy

Editor(s): Dreyfuss, C. Rochelle; Strandburg, J. Katherine

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781847208996

Section: Chapter 9

Section Title: Open Innovation and the Private-collective Model for Innovation Incentives

Author(s): Hippel, Eric von; von Krogh, Georg

Number of pages: 21

Extract:

9 Open innovation and the private-
collective model for innovation incentives
Eric von Hippel and Georg von Krogh*


I. INTRODUCTION

We define an innovation as `open' when design information about that
innovation, as well as contextual information others would need to under-
stand, reproduce, modify and improve that design, are offered on equal
terms to all at no charge.1 Open revealing is the feature of open innovation
that makes it possible to have collaborative design processes in which all
can participate, as is famously the case in open source software projects.2
Open revealing of findings, discoveries and knowledge is also a defining
characteristic of what Paul David and colleagues call open science.3
Discussions of intellectual property law often assume that if patents are
not available, inventors will resort to trade secrecy if they are able to do so.
Empirical research findings and theoretical considerations we will discuss
in this chapter show that this need not be, and often is not, the case.
In this chapter, we begin by reviewing the empirical evidence on open


* Eric von Hippel is T. Wilson Professor of Innovation Management and
Professor of Engineering Systems at MIT. Georg von Krogh is Professor of
Strategic Management and Innovation at ETH Zurich. We greatly appreciate
assistance received from Florian Bertram. This chapter is based on Eric von
Hippel and Georg von Krogh, Free Revealing and the Private-Collective Model for
Innovation Incentives, 36 R&D Mgmt. 3 (2006).
1
Definitions of `open innovation' are not ...