Startups & the Patent System: A Narrative

Abstract:     
In 2008, a team at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law conducted the most comprehensive study to date on startup companies and the patent system. The study consisted of a survey, which led to primarily quantitative data, as well as more in-depth pre- and post-survey interviews and case studies. Following upon articles broadly reporting the quantitative survey results, this chapter recounts the qualitative interviews and case studies in order to provide a richer overall account. Like the quantitative results, the qualitative results vary widely depending upon company industry, age, sophistication, and a variety of other factors. As such, this chapter reinforces the study’s original finding that there is no overriding characterization of how startups use and are affected by the patent system.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 20

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Startups, Patents, Innovation, Intellectual Property

JEL Classification: L26, O31, O32, O34, O38

Accepted Paper Series