Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/123555 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
AGDI Working Paper No. WP/12/016
Publisher: 
African Governance and Development Institute (AGDI), Yaoundé
Abstract: 
In the current efforts towards harmonizing IPRs regimes in the African continent, this paper provides answers to four key questions relevant in the policy decision making processes. After empirically examining the questions, the following findings are established. (1) In comparison to common law countries, civil law countries inherently have a significant autonomous rate of software piracy; consistent with the 'law and property rights' theory. (2) But for IPRs laws, the other IP protection channels (WIPO treaties, Main IP law and multilateral treaties) reduce the incidence of software piracy. (3) In both short-run and long-term, IPRs protection channels in civil law countries appear to mitigate software piracy more than in common law countries. (4) Formal institutions are instrumental in the fight against software piracy through IPRs protection channels.
Subjects: 
Software piracy
Intellectual property rights
Panel data
Africa
JEL: 
F42
K42
O34
O38
O57
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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