International innovation and diffusion of air pollution control technologies
Subtitle: the effects of nox and so2 regulation in the US, Japan, and Germany
By: David Popp.
Contributors: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Series: NBER working paper series ;; working paper 10643; Working paper series (National Bureau of Economic Research : Online) ;; working paper no. 10643.
Publisher: National Bureau of Economic Research
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Format: Electronic resource
Subjects: Air -- Pollution -- Law and legislation -- United States.; Air -- Pollution -- Law and legislation -- Japan.; Air -- Pollution -- Law and legislation -- Germany.
Description: "Using patent data from the United States, Japan, and Germany, this paper examines both the innovation and diffusion of air pollution control equipment.  Whereas the United States was an early adopter of stringent sulfur dioxide (SO2) standards, both Japan and Germany introduced stringent nitrogen dioxide (NOX) standards much earlier than the US.  Nonetheless, in both cases, tightened standards in the U.S.  led to more domestic patenting, but not more foreign patenting.  Overall, the data suggest that inventors respond to environmental regulatory pressure in their own country, but not to foreign environmental regulations.  Moreover, any technology transfer that occurs appears to be indirect.  Domestic innovation occurs even for technologies that have already experienced significant innovative activity abroad.  Moreover, utilities in countries that adopt regulations later nonetheless purchase pollution abatement equipment from domestic firms.  However, patent citation data from the U.S.  show that earlier foreign patents are an important building block for NOX pollution control innovations in the U.S., suggesting that American inventors build on technological advances made in countries that adopted stringent regulation earlier"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
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