Duality in property: Commons and anticommons

Commons and anticommons problems are the consequence of symmetric structural departures from a unified conception of property. In this paper, we provide a dual model of property, where commons and anticommons problems are the consequence of a lack of conformity between use and exclusion rights. While commons and anticommons problems are symmetric in this sense, they are associated with asymmetric transaction costs. The paper formulates a hypothesis of legal rules for promoting unity in property and suggests a list of possible areas of application. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.