Editorial: why and when do firms trademark? Bridging perspectives from industrial organisation, innovation and entrepreneurship

Abstract

This editorial to the special issue on “Trademarks and their role in innovation, entrepreneurship and industrial organization” proposes a novel framework to understand why and when firms file trademarks. The three perspectives at the core of the special issue offer several insights on trademark motives but have not been linked for understanding the underlying strategies and contingencies. We propose to study trademark motives in relation to the firm and the innovation life cycle stage. Inspired by the framework, we outline avenues for further research.