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Understanding the dynamics of global value chains for solar photovoltaic technologies
Economic Research Working Paper No. 40
China dominates the global solar photovoltaic (PV) value chain, while 15 years ago the demand and supply were located in few Western economies. In this process, the PV industry has seen a booming demand, drastic price decreases along the supply chain, and fierce competition among surviving companies. This paper seeks to understand how this spatial shift has occurred and its drivers, with a specific focus on the role of intangible assets and intellectual property.
Publication year: 2017
Intangible assets and value capture in global value chains: the smartphone industry
Economic Research Working Paper No. 41
This report uses data on individual smart phones as well as industry data to identify which smartphone firms capture the most value. It finds that Apple captures most of the industry profits, thanks to its high prices, large profit margins and the volume of iPhone sales worldwide. Apple's success is explained as a result of its ability to develop its own intellectual property (IP) and take advantage of IP created by suppliers through a strategy of selling only a few models at high prices compared to competitors.
The powerful role of intangibles in the coffee value chain
Economic Research Working Paper No. 39
The paper describes: a) the coffee industry and its GVC structure; b) the role that intangible assets play in value creation from both the supply and demand perspective; and c) the current and potential role of intellectual property tools in creating and retaining value, as well as providing economic upgrade options.
Intangible assets and transactions within multinational enterprises: implications for national economic accounts
Economic Research Working Paper No. 38
Transactions involving intangible assets within multinational enterprises impose challenges for national economic accountants. In light of the challenges, recent research at the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis aims to identify areas for improving the treatment of multinational enterprises in national economic accounts. This paper summarizes the work and demonstrates implications for gross domestic product – the most widely cited measure in national economic accounts – of the United States.
A missing link in the analysis of global value chains: cross-border flows of intangible assets, taxation and related measurement implications
Economic Research Working Paper No. 37
Understanding cross-border flows of disembodied knowledge, often associated with intellectual property (IP), is essential to analyzing how modern economies operate. This paper documents how available data to document these IP flows are distorted by various factors, including tax planning by multinational enterprises. It finds that tax-induced mismeasurement could be more than 35%, and greater for individual countries particularly high-tax-rate countries.
Measuring the income to intangibles in goods production: a global value chain approach
Economic Research Working Paper No. 36
Today's production processes are fragmented across countries and industries. Intangibles play an important role, but their measurement is elusive. This paper proposes a new empirical framework to measure factor incomes in production that spans industries and countries.
Vaccines: Accelerating Innovation and Access
Global Challenges Report
This Global Challenges Report describes the innovation process for vaccines. It explains how the restricted availability of vaccines is due to impediments at every stage of the process. Most of these obstacles are manageable, and intellectual property (IP) rights are associated with only some of them. The analysis aims to put into perspective debates around health innovation and the availability of health technologies in developing countries, especially with respect to the role of IP. In particular, it provides an overview of how IP has been used to meet global health challenges in the vaccines field, and considers whether lessons can be drawn to inform other important health technologies.
Global Design Database
The free global search engine for designs
This brochure outlines the options for searching industrial design documents in WIPO's Global Design Database.
Hague Yearly Review 2017 - Executive Summary
International Registration of Industrial Designs
This executive brief identifies key trends in the use of the WIPO-administered Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs.
Madrid Yearly Review 2017 - Executive Summary
International Registration of Marks
This document provides the key trends in the use of the WIPO-administered Madrid System. This edition provides a summary of the statistics reported in the Madrid Yearly Review 2017.