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The Knockoff Economy
Book

The Knockoff Economy

How Imitation Sparks Innovation

Kal Raustiala and Christopher Sprigman
Oxford UP, 2012

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

What do a pair of intellectual property lawyers have to say about the practice of “knocking off” or copying the creations of another person? Plenty, and, surprisingly, it is not all bad. Kal Raustiala and Christopher Sprigman take readers through industries based on individual creativity, like fashion, food and comedy, to examine how they regulate copying. The authors report that the presence of imitators can encourage increased innovation. getAbstract finds this an interesting and entertaining read and recommends its memorable anecdotes to creative people who might want to share them with others – with the proper attribution, of course.

Take-Aways

  • The “monopoly theory of innovation” says that giving creators control over the execution of their ideas provides a necessary incentive for creativity.
  • Trends and fads fuel – and raise expectations of – copying.
  • The “piracy paradox” holds that copying within an industry may encourage – rather than discourage – creativity.

About the Authors

Kal Raustiala, author of Does the Constitution Follow the Flag?, is a professor of law at UCLA. Christopher Sprigman is a research professor at the University of Virginia School of Law.

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