Standards and Public Policy [Paperback]

In this volume, leading researchers focus on applied questions at the forefront of standards policy.Despite general agreement that technological standards are important, there is much less agreement on the central policy questions, such as whether markets choose the best standards, and what constitutes appropriate public policy toward standards. In this volume, leading researchers in the field focus on these key questions.Despite general agreement that technological standards are important, there is much less agreement on the central policy questions, such as whether markets choose the best standards, and what constitutes appropriate public policy toward standards. In this volume, leading researchers in the field focus on these key questions.Technological standards are a cornerstone of the modern information economy, affecting firm strategy, market performance and, by extension, economic growth. While there is general agreement that swift movement to superior technological standards is a worthwhile goal, there is much less agreement on the central policy questions: do markets choose efficient standards? How do standards organizations affect the development of standards? And finally, what constitutes appropriate public policy toward standards? In this volume, leading researchers in public policy on standards, including both academics and industry experts, focus on these key questions. Given the dearth of applied work on standards and public policy, this volume significantly advances the frontier of knowledge in this critical but understudied area. It will be essential reading for academic and industrial researchers as well as policymakers.Introduction Shane Greenstein and Victor Stango; 1. Standard setting in markets: the Browser war Timothy F. Bresnahan and Pai-Ling Yin; 2. Competition through institutional form: the case of cluster tool standards Richard Langlois; 3. The economic realities of open standards: black, white, and many shades of gray Joel West; 4. Coordlc<