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

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  • Jérôme Danguy

    (Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, iCite and ECARES, Université libre de Bruxelles)

  • Gaétan de Rassenfosse

    (Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne; Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia, The University of Melbourne)

  • Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie

    (Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, iCite and ECARES, Université libre de Bruxelles)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Jérôme Danguy & Gaétan de Rassenfosse & Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, 2013. "On the Origins of the Worldwide Surge in Patenting: An Industry Perspective on the R&D-Patent Relationship," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2013n15, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    • Handle: RePEc:iae:iaewps:wp2013n15
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    2. Minford, Lucy & Meenagh, David, 2019. "Testing a model of UK growth: A role for R&D subsidies," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 152-167.
    3. Christian Bessy, 2019. "The transformations of conventions for patent use and the role of legal intermediaries," Working Papers halshs-01872163, HAL.
    4. Park, Jinho & Choi, Byungchul & Huang, Wei, 2023. "Innovation under debtor-friendly institutional policy: Strategic patenting perspective of Chinese listed firms," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    5. Jérôme Danguy, 2017. "Globalization of innovation production: A patent-based industry analysis," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 44(1), pages 75-94.
    6. Adam B. Jaffe & Gaétan de Rassenfosse, 2017. "Patent citation data in social science research: Overview and best practices," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 68(6), pages 1360-1374, June.
    7. Hingley, Peter & Park, Walter G., 2017. "Do business cycles affect patenting? Evidence from European Patent Office filings," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 76-86.
    8. Exadaktylos, Dimitrios & Ghodsi, Mahdi & Rungi, Armando, 2024. "What do firms gain from patenting? The case of the global ICT industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    9. Dorner, Matthias & Harhoff, Dietmar, 2018. "A novel technology-industry concordance table based on linked inventor-establishment data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 768-781.
    10. Choi, Donghyuk & Kim, Yeonbae, 2018. "Market share and firms’ patent exploitation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 72, pages 13-23.
    11. Pellegrino, Gabriele & Penner, Orion & Piguet, Etienne & de Rassenfosse, Gaétan, 2023. "Productivity gains from migration: Evidence from inventors," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(1).
    12. Dorner, Matthias & Harhoff, Dietmar, 2018. "A novel technology-industry concordance table based on linked inventor-establishment data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 768-781.
    13. Böhringer, Christoph & Cuntz, Alexander & Harhoff, Dietmar & Asane-Otoo, Emmanuel, 2017. "The impact of the German feed-in tariff scheme on innovation: Evidence based on patent filings in renewable energy technologies," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 545-553.
    14. Erik E. Lehmann & Matthias Menter, 2016. "University–industry collaboration and regional wealth," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 41(6), pages 1284-1307, December.
    15. Michael A. Verba, 2022. "Growth and innovation in the presence of knowledge and R&D accumulation dynamics," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(6), pages 485-510, August.
    16. Gold, E. Richard, 2021. "The fall of the innovation empire and its possible rise through open science," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(5).
    17. Esfandiar Maasoumi & Almas Heshmati & Inhee Lee, 2021. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: Green innovations and patenting renewable energy technologies," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 513-538, January.
    18. repec:iab:iabfme:201707(en is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Di Fan & Long Zhao, 2023. "The role of business locations in international patenting," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 139(1), pages 43-69, June.
    20. repec:zbw:hohpro:363 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Appropriability; complexity; patent explosion; propensity to patent; research productivity; strategic patenting;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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

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