A monopoly, unlike a perfectly competitive firm, has some market power. Thus, it can raise its price, within limits, without quantity demanded falling to zero. The main way monopolies retain their market power is through barriers to entry, which prevent other companies from entering monopolized markets and competing for customers. Consider the market for computer technology. Patents are granted to inventors of products or processes for a certain number of years to encourage innovation. Without patents, research and development needed to improve computer technology are unlikely to occur, as nothing would then prevent other firms from stealing ideas and copying products. Which of the following best explains the barriers to entry that exist in this scenario?

Exclusive ownership of a necessary resource

Legal barriers

Increasing returns to scale

A monopoly is a market structure where there is only a single firm, there is a restriction on the entry of firms. This gives firms a certain degree of market power.

The monopolies are able to retain their market power through restrictions on the entry of other potential firms. These restrictions are of different types such as exclusive ownership of a resource, legal barriers, increasing returns to scale.

In this particular scenario of patents, the barrier to entry is a legal barrier. The other potential firms are legally restricted to enter the market as they do not hold a patent.