This paper surveys the major changes in patent policy and practice that have occurred in the last two decades in the U … effects of changes in patent policy. Despite the significance of the policy changes and the wide availability of detailed data … relating to patenting, robust conclusions regarding the empirical consequences for technological innovation of changes in …

fertility of an innovation in generating more innovations cannot be observed. The menu of patent scope can be implemented with …It may be advantageous to provide a variety of kinds of patent protection to heterogenous innovations. Innovations … protection in order to be encouraged. We model the problem of designing an optimal patent menu (scope and length) when the …

Does an expansion of patent scope induce more innovative effort by firms? This article provides evidence on this … question by examining firm responses to the Japanese patent reforms of 1988. Interviews with practitioners suggest the reforms … significantly expanded the scope of patent rights in Japan, but that the average response in terms of additional R&D effort and …

How do non-practicing entities ("Patent Trolls") impact innovation and technological progress? Although this question …", who exploit the patent system to extract rents and thereby hurt innovation. We employ unprecedented access to NPE …-derived patent and financial data, as well as a novel model that guides our data analysis. We find that NPEs acquire patents from …

Continuations allow inventors to claim technology developed after the original filing date of their patent, leading to … concerns about inadvertent infringement and hold-up. We use the link between patents and standards created by the disclosure of … standard essential patents (SEPs) to analyze the relationship between standard publication - a key observable milestone in …

I survey some recent research on the role of patents in encouraging innovation and growth in developing economies …, beginning with a brief history of international patent systems and facts about the current use of patents around the world. I … discuss research on the implications of patents for international technology transfer and domestic innovation. This is …

Members of a patent pool agree to use a set of patents as if they were jointly owned by all members and license them as … the effects of a patent pool on innovation. Contrary to theoretical predictions, the sewing machine pool appears to have … a package to other firms. Regulators favor pools as a means to encourage innovation: Pools are expected to reduce …

This paper studies a simple model of experimentation and innovation. Our analysis suggests that patents may improve the … equilibria). In contrast to patents, subsidies to experimentation, research, or innovation cannot typically achieve this … project to implement. A successful innovation can be copied by other firms. Symmetric equilibria (where actions do not depend …

's fairs between 1851 and 1915. Exhibition data show that the industry where an innovation is made is the single most important … patent. The discovery of the periodic table in 1869 offers an opportunity to test this idea. Exhibition data show that …

deadweight loss associated with the patent system and discourage innovation by others. Economic efficiency is promoted if rewards … the patent system designed to spur innovation by better aligning the rewards and contributions of patent holders …: establishing an independent invention defense in patent infringement cases, and strengthening the procedures by which patents are …