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Decentralising the Patent System

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  • de Rassenfosse, Gaetan
  • Higham, Kyle

Abstract

This paper proposes a substantive re-think of the modern patent system. The patent system has come under intensive criticism in the past, and many scholars have proposed ways to improve it. Ideas for improvement include, e.g., prior-art bounties, contracting out examination and dynamic fee setting. However, many of these ideas have gone unheeded due to the cost of administering them and the rigidity of the patent system. We explore how distributed ledger technologies enable these major changes.

Suggested Citation

  • de Rassenfosse, Gaetan & Higham, Kyle, 2019. "Decentralising the Patent System," SocArXiv qzmf8_v1, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:qzmf8_v1
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/qzmf8_v1
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