基于链与链竞争的最优专利许可策略选择

Patent Licensing Strategy Selection in the Presence of Chain-to-Chain Competition

本文针对两条分别由一个供应商和一个专有制造商组成的竞争性供应链,研究供应链最优专利许可策略选择及其影响问题。作为专利持有者,供应商可选择以制造商产品销售价格的百分比(基于产品的策略)或以组件批发价格的百分比(基于组件的策略)向制造商进行专利许可。两竞争制造商生产销售可替代产品,但其生产成本有异质性。制造商在获得授权后可使用专利降低生产成本。研究表明,供应链参与者对许可策略的偏好取决于竞争强度、相对成本差异和单位许可费的综合影响。供应商均采用基于产品的策略可能成为其自身的占优策略,但该策略不能受到全体成员的青睐。然而,基于产品的策略并不总会损害被许可方的利益,特定情形下,低效制造商所在供应链的供应商基于组件进行技术授权,同时高效制造商所在供应链的供应商基于产品进行技术授权,该策略组合会使全体供应商和制造商实现共赢。

Commercial practice shows that core component suppliers with patents usually use two ways to calculate patent licensing fees.The first is based on the percentage of the product's sales price.The other is based on the percentage of the wholesale price of core components.The argument about patent licensing strategy is mainly since the patentee wants to get more benefits through patent licensing,while the licensee wants to use the patent with less return.Therefore,when enterprises are in a monopoly position in their respective markets,suppliers tend to choose licenses based on product price,while manufacturers prefer licenses based on component price.Although the supplier with several standard patents is in a leading position in technology,it will not become a complete monopolist in its market.For example,Qualcomm faces potential competitors such as HiSilicon and Samsung.In addition,with the development of global economic integration,competition no longer occurs between enterprises but between supply chains.Therefore,it is necessary to integrate the elements of the competitive supply chain into the licensing decision of enterprises,and such research is still lacking.Thus,it aims to study the supplier's optimal patent licensing strategy selection in the presence of chain-to-chain competition.In this paper,for two competitive supply chains composed of one supplier and one proprietary manufacturer,the optimal patent licensing strategy selection and its influence are studied.As a patent holder,the supplier can license the patent to the manufacturer with the percentage of the selling price of the manufacturer's products(product-based strategy)or the percentage of the wholesale price of components(component-based strategy).Two competing manufacturers produce and sell homogeneous products,but their production costs are heterogeneous.After licenses,manufacturers can use patents to reduce production costs.The research shows that,firstly,the licensing strategy preference of supply chain participants depends on factors such as product competition,production cost difference,and unit patent licensing fee.Secondly,for suppliers,the supplier facing the downstream high-efficiency manufacturer always tends to implement a product-based licensing strategy,but the component-based licensing strategy may become optimal for the supplier facing the downstream low-efficiency manufacturer.Thirdly,the low-efficiency manufacturer is always willing to accept the component-based licensing strategy.However,under the condition that competition is mild,the cost advantage is high enough,and the unit licensing fee is low enough,the high-efficiency manufacturer may adopt the product-based strategy.Hence,under certain circumstances,one specific strategy combination(i.e.,the supplier facing an inefficient downstream manufacturer implementing the component-based strategy,along with the supplier facing an efficient downstream manufacturer implementing the product-based strategy)can be the equilibrium strategy that both suppliers are willing to implement,and both manufacturers are willing to accept.It enriches the theory of competitive supply chain management and patent licensing in this paper,and it provides a reference for enterprises to effectively manage the operation practice of patent licensing in the vertical supply chain channel.