IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/teinso/v76y2024ics0160791x23002567.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is worldwide patent protection converging? A cross-country index of patent protection strength 1990–2020

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Wantao
  • Yu, Xiang
  • Yang, Wei

Abstract

This paper introduces the International Patent Protection Strength (IPPS) index, a composite measure designed to assess global patent protection from the perspective of patent owners. Spanning 134 countries from 1990 to 2020, the IPPS index encompasses four dimensions—international mechanism, legislation, enforcement, and administration—constructed using standardized techniques recommended by the OECD. Results indicate global growth in patent protection strength until 2005, followed by a plateau with persistent disparities. Our findings also highlight the heterogeneity across countries and dimensions. In particular, variations in four dimensions are observed among countries at different income levels, with enforcement and administration being more pronounced, often due to resource constraints and a lack of willingness. Linear regression analysis demonstrates a positive and statistically significant relationship between the IPPS index and the Global Innovation Index (GII), affirming the correlation between patent protection strength and innovation. Sensitivity tests validate the robustness of country rankings across different weighting and aggregation methods. These results align with the viewpoint of some commentators who argue that a peaceful North-South dialogue requires introducing a development agenda that allows for affordable access, rather than solely extending intellectual property rights. The IPPS index serves as a valuable tool for policymakers, patent managers, and practitioners, enabling the identification of strengths and weaknesses in patent protection systems and informing targeted policy measures and strategic decision-making.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Wantao & Yu, Xiang & Yang, Wei, 2024. "Is worldwide patent protection converging? A cross-country index of patent protection strength 1990–2020," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:76:y:2024:i:c:s0160791x23002567
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102451
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X23002567
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techsoc.2023.102451?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gould, David M. & Gruben, William C., 1996. "The role of intellectual property rights in economic growth," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 323-350, March.
    2. Mark A. Lemley & Carl Shapiro, 2005. "Probabilistic Patents," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(2), pages 75-98, Spring.
    3. Yang, Deli & Sonmez, Mahmut, 2013. "Integration and divergence of patent systems across national and international institutions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 527-538.
    4. Dirk Czarnitzki & Andrew A. Toole, 2011. "Patent Protection, Market Uncertainty, and R&D Investment," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(1), pages 147-159, February.
    5. Kanwar, Sunil & Evenson, Robert, 2009. "On the strength of intellectual property protection that nations provide," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 50-56, September.
    6. Lee, Jong-Seon & Kim, Nami & Bae, Zong-Tae, 2019. "The effects of patent litigation involving NPEs on firms’ patent strategies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    7. Chen, Yongmin & Puttitanun, Thitima, 2005. "Intellectual property rights and innovation in developing countries," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(2), pages 474-493, December.
    8. de Saint-Georges, Matthis & van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, Bruno, 2013. "A quality index for patent systems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 704-719.
    9. Mercedes Campi & Alessandro Nuvolari, 2021. "Intellectual Property Rights and Agricultural Development: Evidence from a Worldwide Index of IPRs in Agriculture (1961-2018)," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(4), pages 650-668, April.
    10. Waguespack, David Matthew & Birnir, Johanna Kristin & Schroeder, Jeff, 2005. "Technological development and political stability: Patenting in Latin America and the Caribbean," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 1570-1590, December.
    11. Deli Yang, 2021. "Understanding and Profiting from Intellectual Property in International Business: New Beginnings," Springer Books, in: Understanding and Profiting from Intellectual Property in International Business, edition 3, chapter 0, pages 295-301, Springer.
    12. Schneider, Patricia Higino, 2005. "International trade, economic growth and intellectual property rights: A panel data study of developed and developing countries," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(2), pages 529-547, December.
    13. Saaty, Thomas L., 1990. "How to make a decision: The analytic hierarchy process," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 9-26, September.
    14. Morin, Jean-Frédéric & Surbeck, Jenny, 2020. "Mapping the New Frontier of International IP Law: Introducing a TRIPs-plus Dataset," World Trade Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(1), pages 109-122, January.
    15. Papageorgiadis, Nikolaos & McDonald, Frank & Wang, Chengang & Konara, Palitha, 2020. "The characteristics of intellectual property rights regimes: How formal and informal institutions affect outward FDI location," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(1).
    16. Campi, Mercedes & Nuvolari, Alessandro, 2015. "Intellectual property protection in plant varieties: A worldwide index (1961–2011)," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 951-964.
    17. Liu, Ming & La Croix, Sumner, 2015. "A cross-country index of intellectual property rights in pharmaceutical inventions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 206-216.
    18. Tatsuro Iwaisako & Koichi Futagami, 2013. "Patent protection, capital accumulation, and economic growth," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 52(2), pages 631-668, March.
    19. Smeets, Roger & de Vaal, Albert, 2016. "Intellectual Property Rights and the productivity effects of MNE affiliates on host-country firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 419-434.
    20. Smarzynska Javorcik, Beata, 2004. "The composition of foreign direct investment and protection of intellectual property rights: Evidence from transition economies," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 39-62, February.
    21. Brent B Allred & Walter G Park, 2007. "Patent rights and innovative activity: evidence from national and firm-level data," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(6), pages 878-900, November.
    22. Papageorgiadis, Nikolaos & McDonald, Frank, 2019. "Defining and Measuring the Institutional Context of National Intellectual Property Systems in a post-TRIPS world," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 3-18.
    23. Mike W Peng & David Ahlstrom & Shawn M Carraher & Weilei (Stone) Shi, 2017. "An institution-based view of global IPR history," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(7), pages 893-907, September.
    24. Jandhyala, Srividya, 2015. "International and domestic dynamics of intellectual property protection," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 284-293.
    25. Lee G. Branstetter & Raymond Fisman & C. Fritz Foley, 2006. "Do Stronger Intellectual Property Rights Increase International Technology Transfer? Empirical Evidence from U. S. Firm-Level Panel Data," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(1), pages 321-349.
    26. Liegsalz, Johannes & Wagner, Stefan, 2013. "Patent examination at the State Intellectual Property Office in China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 552-563.
    27. Sweet, Cassandra Mehlig & Eterovic Maggio, Dalibor Sacha, 2015. "Do Stronger Intellectual Property Rights Increase Innovation?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 665-677.
    28. Papageorgiadis, Nikolaos & Sofka, Wolfgang, 2020. "Patent enforcement across 51 countries – Patent enforcement index 1998–2017," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    29. Ginarte, Juan C. & Park, Walter G., 1997. "Determinants of patent rights: A cross-national study," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 283-301, October.
    30. Papageorgiadis, Nikolaos & Cross, Adam R. & Alexiou, Constantinos, 2014. "International patent systems strength 1998–2011," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 586-597.
    31. Yongwook Paik & Feng Zhu, 2016. "The Impact of Patent Wars on Firm Strategy: Evidence from the Global Smartphone Industry," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(6), pages 1397-1416, December.
    32. Jean-Frédéric Morin & Omar Serrano & Mira Burri & Sara Bannerman, 2018. "Rising Economies in the International Patent Regime: From Rule-breakers to Rule-changers and Rule-makers," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(3), pages 255-273, May.
    33. Deli Yang, 2021. "Understanding and Profiting from Intellectual Property in International Business," Springer Books, Springer, edition 3, number 978-3-030-54034-0, December.
    34. Arshed, Noman & Hanif, Nadia & Aziz, Osama & Croteau, Martin, 2022. "Exploring the potential of institutional quality in determining technological innovation," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    35. Robert L Ostergard, 2000. "The Measurement of Intellectual Property Rights Protection," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 31(2), pages 349-360, June.
    36. Lee Davis, 2004. "Intellectual property rights, strategy and policy," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(5), pages 399-415.
    37. Hemphill, Thomas A., 2022. "Biopharmaceutical patent protection vs. generic drug competition: Traversing the public policy tightrope," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    38. Arza, Valeria & López, Andrés & Montes-Rojas, Gabriel & Pascuini, Paulo, 2023. "In the name of TRIPS: The impact of IPR harmonisation on patent activity in Latin America," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    39. Adenle, Ademola A. & Sowe, Sulayman K. & Parayil, Govindan & Aginam, Obijiofor, 2012. "Analysis of open source biotechnology in developing countries: An emerging framework for sustainable agriculture," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 256-269.
    40. Filomeno, Felipe Amin, 2013. "State capacity and intellectual property regimes: Lessons from South American soybean agriculture," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 139-152.
    41. Diego Reis & Fábio Moura & Iracema Aragão, 2023. "The Linkage Between Intellectual Property and Innovation in the Global Innovation Ecosystem," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(01), pages 1-21, February.
    42. Dietmar Harhoff & Stefan Wagner, 2009. "The Duration of Patent Examination at the European Patent Office," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(12), pages 1969-1984, December.
    43. Matthew David & Debora J. Halbert, 2017. "Intellectual Property & Global Policy," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(2), pages 149-158, May.
    44. Su, Zhongfeng & Wang, Chenfeng & Peng, Mike W., 2022. "Intellectual property rights protection and total factor productivity," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(3).
    45. Albino-Pimentel, João & Dussauge, Pierre & El Nayal, Omar, 2022. "Intellectual property rights, non-market considerations and foreign R&D investments," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(2).
    46. Erahman, Qodri Febrilian & Purwanto, Widodo Wahyu & Sudibandriyo, Mahmud & Hidayatno, Akhmad, 2016. "An assessment of Indonesia's energy security index and comparison with seventy countries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 364-376.
    47. Cao, Qing, 2014. "Insight into weak enforcement of intellectual property rights in China," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 40-47.
    48. Moaniba, Igam M. & Lee, Pei-Chun & Su, Hsin-Ning, 2020. "How does external knowledge sourcing enhance product development? Evidence from drug commercialization," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    49. Deli Yang, 2021. "Understanding and Profiting from Intellectual Property in International Business: A Beginning," Springer Books, in: Understanding and Profiting from Intellectual Property in International Business, edition 3, chapter 0, pages 1-8, Springer.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sharma, Abhijit & Sousa, Cristina & Woodward, Richard, 2022. "Determinants of innovation outcomes: The role of institutional quality," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    2. Viglioni, Marco Túlio Dinali & Calegario, Cristina Lelis Leal & Aveline, Carlos Eduardo Stefaniak & Ferreira, Manuel Portugal & Borini, Felipe Mendes & Bruhn, Nádia Campos Pereira, 2023. "Effects of intellectual property rights on innovation and economic activity: A non-linear perspective from Latin America," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 359-371.
    3. Danai Christopoulou & Nikolaos Papageorgiadis & Chengang Wang & Georgios Magkonis, 2021. "IPR Law Protection and Enforcement and the Effect on Horizontal Productivity Spillovers from Inward FDI to Domestic Firms: A Meta-analysis," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 235-266, April.
    4. Papageorgiadis, Nikolaos & McDonald, Frank, 2019. "Defining and Measuring the Institutional Context of National Intellectual Property Systems in a post-TRIPS world," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 3-18.
    5. Su, Zhongfeng & Wang, Chenfeng & Peng, Mike W., 2022. "Intellectual property rights protection and total factor productivity," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(3).
    6. Wang, Molin & Yan, Haifeng & Ciabuschi, Francesco & Su, Cong, 2023. "Facilitator or inhibitor? The effect of host-country intellectual property rights protection on China’s technology-driven acquisitions," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(6).
    7. Neves, Pedro Cunha & Afonso, Oscar & Silva, Diana & Sochirca, Elena, 2021. "The link between intellectual property rights, innovation, and growth: A meta-analysis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 196-209.
    8. Suma Athreye & Lucia Piscitello & Kenneth C. Shadlen, 2020. "Twenty-five years since TRIPS: Patent policy and international business," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 3(4), pages 315-328, December.
    9. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2023. "The least developed countries' transitional exemption in the TRIPS agreement and the strength of intellectual property protection," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    10. Arza, Valeria & López, Andrés & Montes-Rojas, Gabriel & Pascuini, Paulo, 2023. "In the name of TRIPS: The impact of IPR harmonisation on patent activity in Latin America," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    11. Gnangnon, Sèna Kimm, 2023. "The Least developed countries' TRIPS Waiver and the Strength of Intellectual Property Protection," EconStor Preprints 271537, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    12. Pamela J. Smith & Sebastian J. Anti, 2022. "How does TRIPs compliance affect the economic growth of developing countries? Application of the Synthetic Control method," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(12), pages 3873-3906, December.
    13. Papageorgiadis, Nikolaos & McDonald, Frank & Wang, Chengang & Konara, Palitha, 2020. "The characteristics of intellectual property rights regimes: How formal and informal institutions affect outward FDI location," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(1).
    14. Demir, Caner, 2016. "Do Technology Transfer and IPR Spur Domestic Innovation?: An International Panel Data Analysis," MPRA Paper 76693, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Anja, Breitwieser & Neil, Foster, 2012. "Intellectual property rights, innovation and technology transfer: a survey," MPRA Paper 36094, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Hudson, John & Minea, Alexandru, 2013. "Innovation, Intellectual Property Rights, and Economic Development: A Unified Empirical Investigation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 66-78.
    17. Iain Osgood & Yilang Feng, 2018. "Intellectual property provisions and support for US trade agreements," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 421-455, September.
    18. Abdin, Joynal & Sharma, Abhijit & Trivedi, Rohit & Wang, Chengang, 2024. "Financing constraints, intellectual property rights protection and incremental innovation: Evidence from transition economy firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    19. Auriol, Emmanuelle & Biancini, Sara & Paillacar, Rodrigo, 2023. "Intellectual property rights protection and trade: An empirical analysis," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    20. Ha Thi-Thu Le & Trang Thi-Dai Luong & Trang Thi Thu Nguyen & Duy Van Nguyen, 2023. "Determinants of Intellectual Property Rights Protection in Asian Developing Countries," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 14(4), pages 4780-4806, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Patent protection; Index; Cross-country; Legislation; Enforcement; Administration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • O50 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:76:y:2024:i:c:s0160791x23002567. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/technology-in-society .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.