Group Projects for Econ W4615

Listed below are the dates and the topics for group presentation, the names of the group members, and some references. You may go beyond the references given below. On the date of presentation, you should also turn in a 10-20 page report (with references on a separate page) containing your findings.

In preparing your presentation, be sure to

(1) Summarize the facts and historical background of the issue;

(2) Survey different existing views on the issues (if there exist ones);

(3) Apply economics perspectives and reasoning on the issues;

(4) Try to develop your own views.

Here are some sample topics. You can choose among these topics but you are encouraged to develop any topics of your own as long as they are relevant to the course. Some basic reading materials will be added to these topics. Or you can contact me for references.

Topic 1: “Should trade of human organs be allowed? How should they be distributed more efficiently?”

http://www.cooter-ulen.com/property.htm - Organ Transplants

Radin, M.J., Contested Commodities:The Trouble with Trade in Sex, Children, Body Parts, and Other Things, Harvard University Press, 1996.

Arrow, K., “Invaluable Goods,” Journal of Economic Literature, 1997, 757-765.

Topic 2: “Global climate control: treaty making and carbon trading”

Barrett, S., Environment & Statecraft, 2003, Oxford Press.

The Economists’ Voice, 2007, Vol. 4, Issue 3. (Special Issue on Global Climate Change): http://www.bepress.com/ev/vol4/iss3/

Topic 4: “Reforms of the patent system and Its alternatives.”

Nancy Gallini and Suzanne Scotchmer, “Intellectual Property: When is it the Best Incentive System?” 2001, UC-Berkeley Working Paper E01-303. (http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~scotch/G_and_S.pdf)

http://www.cooter-ulen.com/property.htm - Social Costs of Patents

Topic 5: “The case for weakening intellectual property right? Open source movement”

Lerner, J. and Tirole, J., “Simple Economics of Open Source,” (http://www.people.hbs.edu/jlerner/simple.pdf)

Bessen, J. and Maskin, E., “Intellectual Property on the Internet: What's Wrong with Conventional Wisdom?”

Topic 6: “Should eminent domain be allowed for economic development? Should they be available for private entities such as Columbia University or Mount Sinai?”

NYT, 2004, “Connecticut Homeowners Say Eminent Domain isn’t a Revenue-Raising Device”

Topic 7: “Are rent-to-own business contracts unconscionable? Examining the economic rationale for unconscionability doctrine”

Richard A. Epstein, “Unconscionability:A Critical Reappraisal,” 1975, Journal of Law and Economics, Vol. 18.

Paul B. Marrow, 2000, “Contractual unconscionability: identifying and understanding its potential elements.”

Topic 8: “Should the shrink-wrap licenses be enforceable?”

http://www.cooter-ulen.com/contracts.htm - Shrinkwrap Licenses

http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/procd.htm

Frank Easterbrook’s Opinion on ProCD v. Zeidenberg, 86 F.3e 1447 (7th Cir. 1996) (http://www.softwareindustry.org/issues/docs-htm/procd-op.html)

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/institutes/bclt/pubs/lemley/procdbrief.html

Topic 9: “Contracts vs. Tort”

Krauss, M. “Restoring the Boundary: Tort Law and the Right to Contract,” Policy Analysis, 1999. and the articles referenced in this paper.

Topic 10: “Controlling corporate misconduct through vicarious liability.”

Hale and Dorr, “Government Investigations and Litigation Bulletin”

Topic 11: “Punitive damages and decoupling”

http://www.cooter-ulen.com/tort_liability.htm - Punitive Damages

http://www.cooter-ulen.com/tort_liability.htm - Split Awards

Polinsky, M. and Shavell, S., “Punitive Damages:an Economic Analysis,” Harvard Law Review, 111:869-962, 1998.

Polinsky, M., and Che, Y-K, “Decoupling Liability:Optimal Incentives for Care and Litigation,” Rand Journal of Economics, 22: 562-570, 1991.