SKU: 48103721652

The Knockoff Economy: How Imitation Sparks Innovation

Sale price$17.59 Regular price$19.54
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $4.88 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Sep 2 - Sep 7

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

The Knockoff Economy: How Imitation Sparks InnovationFrom the shopping mall to the corner bistro, knockoffs are everywhere in today's marketplace. Conventional wisdom holds that copying kills creativity, and that laws that protect against copies are essential to innovation and economic success. But are copyrights and patents always necessary? In The Knockoff Economy, Kal Raustiala and Christopher Sprigman provocatively argue that creativity can not only survive in the face of copying, but can thrive.

From the shopping mall to the corner bistro, knockoffs are everywhere in today's marketplace. Conventional wisdom holds that copying kills creativity, and that laws that protect against copies are essential to innovation--and economic success. But are copyrights and patents always necessary? In The Knockoff Economy, Kal Raustiala and Christopher Sprigman provocatively argue that creativity can not only survive in the face of copying, but can thrive.

The Knockoff Economy approaches the question of incentives and innovation in a wholly new way--by exploring creative fields where copying is generally legal, such as fashion, food, and even professional football. By uncovering these important but rarely studied industries, Raustiala and Sprigman reveal a nuanced and fascinating relationship between imitation and innovation. In some creative fields, copying is kept in check through informal industry norms enforced by private sanctions. In others, the freedom to copy actually promotes creativity. High fashion gave rise to the very term "knockoff," yet the freedom to imitate great designs only makes the fashion cycle run faster--and forces the fashion industry to be even more creative.

Raustiala and Sprigman carry their analysis from food to font design to football plays to finance, examining how and why each of these vibrant industries remains innovative even when imitation is common. There is an important thread that ties all these instances together--successful creative industries can evolve to the point where they become inoculated against--and even profit from--a world of free and easy copying. And there are important lessons here for copyright-focused industries, like music and film, that have struggled as digital technologies have made copying increasingly widespread and difficult to stop.

Raustiala and Sprigman's arguments have been making headlines in The New Yorker, the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Boston Globe, Le Monde, and at the Freakonomics blog, where they are regular contributors. By looking where few had looked before--at markets that fall outside normal IP law--The Knockoff Economy opens up fascinating creative worlds. And it demonstrates that not only is a great deal of innovation possible without intellectual property, but that intellectual property's absence is sometimes better for innovation.


Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 04/01/2015
ISBN: 9780199361090
Pages: 280
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.70w x 0.80d
Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 48103721652

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.5 ★★★★★
Based on 20 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
M
Verified Purchase
Mikelford
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 4
Dog Loves it
Color: Gray Bird
Great Toy for the price
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2026
C
Cindy
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 5
Bigger than expected, but my pup enjoys it
Color: Green Bird
This toy has been a great surprise for my dog. The green bird design is cute, but more importantly it’s actually held up really well to her throwing it around and chewing. The material feels sturdy, and the stitching has stayed intact even after lots of chewing, tugging, and carrying it around all day. It's bigger than I expected, but that hasn't deterred my Chihuahua. As a 2-1/2 year old with plenty of energy, she is definitely getting lots of use out of it! What I like most is that it keeps my dog engaged — the squeaker grabs attention right away, and it’s perfect for interactive play like tug-of-war. It’s soft enough to be a comfort toy but durable enough to handle rough play, which is hard to find. Overall, a fun and well-made toy that keeps my pup entertained and has lasted longer than many other dog toys I’ve tried. Definitely a good choice for dogs that love to chew and play hard.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2026
J
Verified Purchase
Jamie Betts
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 1
Not Meant For Aggressive Chewers
Color: Brown Bird
Lasted 5 minutes. Definitely not for the aggressive chewers.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2026
T
Taylor
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
Strong toy
Color: Gray Bird
My dogs absolutely love this toy! I must get more. They are rly durable and I’d recommend this toy to others.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2026
R
Rob Kujovich
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 4
The toys body is very durable, but the squeakers were broken within minutes without tearing it apart
Color: Green Bird
This is a squeaky dog toy that was supposedly very durable. I have to say that the squeakers are not durable and were immediately destroyed by my husky. The actual body of the toy is very durable and they were not able to rip it apart. They were able to destroy the squeakers without damaging the actual exterior of this toy. The toy itself is pretty soft except where it’s made of rope. Since it didn’t have any stuffing come out I will say that it was durable enough for chewing. This would be suitable for large larger dogs and even smaller dogs. I do feel this is a good value for the money because they were not able to rip it apart. I just wish the squeakers were more durable inside because there’s no way to replace those.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2026

recommand products