Summary: Are intellectual property rights compatible with free, competitive markets? This question has long been a topic of debate. Some characterize intellectual property rights as government-granted monopolies that call for close scrutiny by competition authorities. Others respond that intellectual property rights don't grant market power and don't deserve special scrutiny. Rather, they are property rights that benefit consumers by encouraging investment in research and innovation. Recently, these questions have become more urgent, as the White House, the FTC, and others have called for increased scrutiny of the affect of intellectual property rights on competition. This panel will consider the relationships among intellectual property rights, competition, innovation, and consumer welfare. -- The Intellectual Property Practice Group hosted this panel on "Intellectual Property, Free Markets and Competition Policy" on Thursday, November 14, during the 2013 National Lawyers Convention. -- Featuring: Prof. John F. Duffy, Samuel H. McCoy II Professor of Law and Armistead M. Dobie Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law; Prof. Richard A. Epstein, Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Law, New York University School of Law and James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor of Law, University of Chicago Law School; Prof. Joshua D. Sarnoff, Professor of Law, DePaul University College of Law; and Hon. Joshua D. Wright, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commissioner and Professor of Law, George Mason University School of Law. Moderator: Hon. Douglas H. Ginsburg, Senior Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit and Professor of Law, George Mason University School of Law.
