The joint increase in the number and size of patents filed around the world puts patent systems under pressure. This paper addresses issues in measuring the voluminosity of patent applications and highlights patterns in its evolution. The results, based on a database of 2 million EPO...

Patent filings worldwide have been subject to a combined growth in terms of the number of applications filed and their size. This is putting patent systems under tremendous pressure, as witnessed by the evolution of backlogs at several patent offices. The present article presents an analysis of...

[fre] Le brevet, un instrument d'appropriation . Les entreprises ne peuvent rentabiliser leurs dépenses de recherche que si elles sont en mesure de s'approprier les bénéfices de leurs innovations. D'un point de vue légal, le brevet remplit ce rôle en conférant à son détenteur le monopole...

[spa] Investigacion-desarrollo : ventajas para Alemania - Los gastos en el rubro investigación-desarrollo, fuente principal de la innovación technológica son un tercio más elevados en Alemania que en Francia. El financiamiento público es similar en ambos países pero el privado es muy...

We investigate statistically the characteristics, functioning and incidence of pre-emptive patenting, defined as patent filings whose main effect is to hamper the grant of other patents. Patent applications can be used to prevent the grant of exclusive rights on markets and technologies to...

Global policy discussions increasingly focus on innovation and the knowledge economy as a driver of long-term growth. In parallel new forms of innovation processes are emerging, notably open innovation and innovation networks stressing the importance of connections between various stakeholders....