• The Coase theorem states that, under the right conditions, the parties to a property rights dispute will be able to agree on an economically optimal solution, regardless of the initial distribution of property rights.

  • The Coase theorem offers a potentially useful way to think about how best to resolve conflicts between competing businesses or other economic uses of scarce resources.
  • For the full application of the Coase theorem, there must be conditions for efficient, competitive markets and, most importantly, zero transaction costs.
  • In the real world, ideal economic conditions are rare, so the Coase theorem is better suited to explain the causes of inefficiency, rather than to resolve disputes.