This article outlines the creation of the Chief Economist’s Office at the US Patent and Trademark Office in March, 2010, and the publication of the Office’s first economics research agenda. In describing the elements of the research agenda—the role of intellectual property (IP) in economic...

As patent applications increase, and the range of patentable technologies increases, the length of time it takes for an invention to go through the examination process at the U.S. Patent Office has increased. Concerns over the distributional effects of these changes have been expressed during...

One area that has expanded the scope of patent subject matter concerns the patentability of a method of doing business, especially in the context of computer technology, cyber networks, or as a method of e-commerce. In recent years, the USA has taken the lead in recognising the patentability of...