從白光LED專利論台灣廠商的授權與研發－以經濟分析方式看決策行為

Abstract

白色發光二極體（White Light Emitting Diode；簡稱White LED）的全球應用市場正開始蓬勃發展，台灣廠商在面對以全球為一個市場且充滿專利地雷的白光LED產業中，停止廠商內部自行研發改以透過市場交易購買技術的授權模式，雖能讓台灣廠商快速地進入市場獲取高利潤，但在有關專利或技術策略因不投入研發而有可能在面臨國外專利權人掌握關鍵技術與專利時，台灣廠商將可能喪失競爭利基。本研究首先透過經濟分析的交易成本理論，以定性和描述性之研究方法，在交易成本理論的有限理性與投機主義的假設前題下，廠商將依據市場的交易成本高低來決定技術來源取得方式。同時，國外專利權人中，白光LED的關鍵技術的日亞化學工業株式會社的專利策略，其所採取以「不授權」的攻擊性的侵權訴訟方式，試圖阻止新進廠商進入白光LED市場，相較於第二大廠商OSRAM OPTO SEMICONDUCTORS GmbH以收取權利金為主的授權策略，本研究另以經濟分析的賽局理論做為檢視日亞化學工業株式會社的關鍵專利權擁有人目前的專利策略並非最佳選擇。本研究另利用以國內LED廠商為對象的問卷調查兼訪談之實證，檢視台灣廠商在實際決策白光LED技術的研發或授權的決定因素，將問卷訪談分別以敘述及推論統計進行分析，再套用上開經濟分析交易成本及賽局理論的假設前題，逐一驗證上開經濟理論對於台灣廠商的預測有無偏離，最後建議台灣廠商在面對成長中的白光LED產業趨勢，有關白光LED技術的專利策略選擇及決策的真正影響因素應儘早建立規劃，以增加廠商的競爭利基。

The White Light Emitting Diode（”LED”） application is expanding rapidly and in such area there are full of essential patents, cross-licensing agreements and infringement lawsuits involving the global “Big Five” manufactures. In order to get more profit in the global white LED market, the Taiwan firms have chosen the way of licensing to obtain the important technology instead of R&D. The firms decrease the R&D fees gradually in the White LED lighting research, however, that is possible to lose the advantage of the competition with the patents owner in the global market. In this research, using the economic analysis of the Transaction Cost theory to define and describe the research approach will help us to find the Taiwan firms how to make the decision between the R&D and licensing to obtain the technology. Moreover, the Transaction Cost theory will be applied to examine the real effects of the Taiwan firms decision-making. Comparing with OSRAM OPTO Semiconductor GmbH’s licensing attitude toward collecting royalty fees, Nichia’s “not to license” patent strategies is not the best responses according to the Game Theory Analysis. On the contrary, the Game Theory decision model predicts that the leading patent owner should take the licensing approach to satisfy the market values in the long run. Questionnaires are used to investigate further the decision-making to R&D or to license strategies of the Taiwan firms. We apply descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze valid collected data and to make a conclusion mechanically with applying the forgoing economic analysis theories — Transaction Cost theory and Game theory. Our major findings are as follows: the R&D spends more cost (include time and opportunity cost) than licensing based on the limited rationality motives, the Taiwan firms still invest less R&D fees in this high growth white LED application market. In order to get more advantageous competition status, tht research result suggests that the Taiwan firms establish correct and efficient Patent strategies for the white LED technology developing trend.