On the Origins of the Worldwide Surge in Patenting: An Industry Perspective on the R&D-Patent Relationship

44 Pages Posted: 15 Apr 2013

See all articles by Jérôme Danguy

Jérôme Danguy

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management; Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES)

Gaétan de Rassenfosse

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie

Free University of Brussels - Solvay Business School; Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: March 2013

Abstract

This paper decomposes the R&D-patent relationship at the industry level to shed light on the sources of the worldwide surge in patent applications. The empirical analysis is based on a unique dataset that includes 5 patent indicators computed for 18 industries in 19 countries covering the period from 1987 to 2005. The analysis shows that variations in patent applications reflect not only variations in research productivity but also variations in the appropriability and filing strategies adopted by firms. The results also suggest that the patent explosion observed in several patent offices can be attributed to the greater globalization of intellectual property rights rather than to a surge in research productivity.

Keywords: appropriability, complexity, patent explosion, propensity to patent, research productivity, strategic patenting

JEL Classification: O30, O34, O38

Suggested Citation

Danguy, Jérôme and de Rassenfosse, Gaétan and van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, Bruno, On the Origins of the Worldwide Surge in Patenting: An Industry Perspective on the R&D-Patent Relationship (March 2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2250887 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2250887

Jérôme Danguy

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management ( email )

Av Franklin Roosevelt, 50 - CP 139
Brussels, B-1050
Belgium

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES)

Ave. Franklin D Roosevelt, 50 - C.P. 139
Brussels, B-1050
Belgium

Gaétan De Rassenfosse (Contact Author)

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne ( email )

Station 5
Odyssea 1.04
1015 Lausanne, CH-1015
Switzerland

Bruno Van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie

Free University of Brussels - Solvay Business School

50 Avenue Roosevelt
Brussels 1050
Belgium

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - Department of Applied Economics (DULBEA) ( email )

Ave. Franklin D Roosevelt 50
Brussels, B-1050
Belgium

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

London
United Kingdom

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