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The European Patent System: A Descriptive Analysis

Author

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  • Georg von Graevenitz

    (QMUL School of Business and Management)

  • Antanina Garanasvili

    (Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management, Bournemouth University)

Abstract

The European Patent System consists of national patent offices (NPOs) and the supranational European Patent Office (EPO). EPO and the NPOs have granted patents in Europe side-by-side since 1980. The resulting patent system is complicated and less coordinated than might be expected. Firms must consider a number of variables when selecting the route of patenting they take within this system: price, rigour of examination, duration of examination, quality of legal redress. To date there is little descriptive evidence on how firms choose between EPO and national offices. This paper provides a rich descriptive analysis of patenting in Europe. We analyze how origin, size and technological focus of companies, affect how they choose among patent offices within the EPS and report differences in examination durations and grant rates across patent offices.

Suggested Citation

  • Georg von Graevenitz & Antanina Garanasvili, 2018. "The European Patent System: A Descriptive Analysis," Working Paper series, University of East Anglia, Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) 2018-12, Centre for Competition Policy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK..
    • Handle: RePEc:uea:ueaccp:2018_12
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General
    • K11 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Property Law

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