How Patent Rights Affect University Science

76 Pages Posted: 13 Sep 2022 Last revised: 25 May 2023

See all articles by Laurent R. Bergé

Laurent R. Bergé

BxSE, University of Bordeaux

Thorsten Doherr

ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research

Katrin Hussinger

Universite du Luxembourg; Catholic University of Leuven (KUL); Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW)

Date Written: 2022

Abstract

How do intellectual property rights influence academic science? We investigate the consequences of the introduction of software patents in the U.S. on the publications of university researchers in the field of computer science. Difference-in-difference estimations reveal that software scientists at U.S. universities produced fewer publications (both in terms of quantity and quality) than their European counterparts after patent rights for software inventions were introduced. We then introduce a theoretical model that accounts for substitution and complementarity between patenting and publishing as well as for the direction of research. In line with the model’s prediction, further results show that the decrease in publications is largest for scientists at the bottom of the ability distribution. Further, we evidence a change in the direction of research following the reform towards more applied research.

Keywords: patent rights, publications, economics of science, difference-in-difference estimation, model of science production

JEL Classification: I23, O31, O34, O38, L38

Suggested Citation

Bergé, Laurent and Doherr, Thorsten and Hussinger, Katrin, How Patent Rights Affect University Science (2022). ZEW - Centre for European Economic Research Discussion Paper No. 22-034, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4217987 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4217987

Laurent Bergé (Contact Author)

BxSE, University of Bordeaux ( email )

16, avenue Léon Duguit CS 50057
Pessac, 33608
France

HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/site/laurentrberge/

Thorsten Doherr

ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research ( email )

P.O. Box 10 34 43
L 7,1
D-68161 Mannheim
Germany

Katrin Hussinger

Universite du Luxembourg ( email )

L-1511 Luxembourg
Luxembourg

Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) ( email )

Steunpunt O&O Statistieken
Dekenstraat 2
B-3000 Leuven
Belgium

Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) ( email )

P.O. Box 10 34 43
L 7,1
D-68034 Mannheim, 68034
Germany

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