INNOVATION AND IMITATION IN AN INFORMATION AGE

We study the behavior of imitation and innovation in a dynamic general equilibrium model that captures the salient features of an information age. We study a world where innovations can be made but at a cost that reflects the type of goods. After innovation takes place, imitation is possible but again at some cost which reflects the nature of the good. We show that the behavior of innovation and imitation are very different for high information content goods and low information content goods and this has important implications for the structure and evolution of industry. (JEL: O31, L16)