The effect of national IP enforcement on the IP management strategies of firms: The case of India and China

Many empirical studies on the effect of a nations' intellectual property institution (IPI) on the international activities of firms rely upon various indices, or measures, of IP strength. These are generally derived from a nation's substantive and subordinate laws and regulations that govern terms of IP protection and enforcement procedures. However, most extant measures focus on the strength of IP 'protection' in countries and are weak at capturing the IP 'enforcement' dimension. This study investigates and compares institutional enforcement behaviour in India and China as experienced and perceived by British firms and how this influences their IP management strategies. Findings indicate that institutional enforcement behaviour has a greater impact on firms' IP management strategies than do enacted IP protection and enforcement laws and regulations. New IP measures may be needed that better capture this important dimension.