Grant Funding
The following grants have been awarded by the Australian Research Council (ARC): Cultural Collections, Creators and Copyright: Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archives and Australia’s Digital HeritageThis project investigates current and emerging ways of using digital collections in museums, galleries, libraries and archives, in light of copyright law and the interests of creators. The project will assist Australia better manage its digital cultural collections and balance the interests of creators, institutions and public accessibility. Ten partner organisations are collaborating in the project.
The Chief Investigators are: Associate Professor Andrew Kenyon and Professor Andrew Christie Uncertainty and the Success of Innovation
The empirically-oriented project, with strong conceptual foundations, will add significantly to our understanding of the barriers to successful commercial exploitation of innovation in Australia. There is currently no other applied work in this area in Australia of this scope and empirical content. The researchers' approach adopts a rigorous approach to the meassurement of innovation and performance, and looks at the effect of uncertainty on the relationship between the two. The results of this exercise wil translate into both government and corporate policy.
The Chief Investigators are: Associate Professor Elizabeth Webster, Dr Jongsay Yong, Dr Paul Jensen, Dr Alfons Palangkaraya and Ms Kay Collins Developing a Coalitional Approach to Business Strategy and Industrial Organisations: Theory and Empirical Operationalisation Recent advances in game theory have had an impact on understanding the stretegic implications of some business actions. However, of considerable more use to business would be a set of tools that can identify strategic opportunities taking into account all of the reactions from rivals and others in the market place. This project will use coalitional game theory to develop those tools and then take the tools and operationalise them utilising Australian data. The end result will be new studies of the strategic environment facing Australian businesses and recommendations that will hopefully improve the productivity of Australian industry.
The Chief Investigators are: Professor Joshua Gans and Associate Professor Michael Ryall ...and by opposing, end them: A Comparative Examination of Opposition Processes in Patent Law Patent law is central to the key Australian economic aim of encouraging an innovative culture. One aspect of patent law, the opposition process, is directly linked to two important issues currently facing our patent system: improving patent quality, and minimising predatory behaviour by powerful firms. This project will assess the operation of the opposition process here, and the practice of equivalent international procedures in other jurisdictions, in order to inform Australian policy in current and ongoing negotiations towards global harmonisation. Material from this project will lead directly to proposals for improving the Australian patent system, and ensuring that it promotes, and does not retard, innovation.
The Chief Investigators are: Professor Andrew Christie and Ms Kimberlee Weatherall he Fingers of the Powers Above Do Tune the Harmony of this Peace: Australia and the Harmonisation of Patents Patent law is central to the key economic aim of encouraging an innovative culture. The harmonisation of patent systems around the world means Australian law will change. There is a significant risk that, without effective lobbying, the reforms will only reflect the needs and interests of the dominant economies, like the US. This project, with its comparative analysis of the patent examination process, will explore the ways in which this integral part of the patent system may be improved. This research will lead to proposals for reform that are in line with the interests of Australia's unique economy.
The Chief Investigators are: Professor Andrew Christie and Dr Chris Dent