Foreign Direct Investment and Intellectual Property Rights: International Intangible Assets in Spain over the Long Term

Abstract

This article reflects on foreign direct investment (FDI) and intellectual property rights (IPRs) over the long term, and analyzes the case of Spain during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Although the interactions between IPRs and FDI have attracted significant research efforts in distinct economic and business areas, the results lack permanent answers. Our findings demonstrate that, from a macro-level perspective: (1) FDI and IPRs are effectively related over the long term; (2) weak IPR protection does not seem to have stopped FDI; and (3) the countries with major FDI in Spain were less worried about IPR management than were other countries with less FDI.