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Patent trolls and startup employment

Author

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  • Appel, Ian
  • Farre-Mensa, Joan
  • Simintzi, Elena

Abstract

We analyze how frivolous patent infringement claims made by nonpracticing entities (NPEs, or “patent trolls”) affect startups’ ability to grow and create jobs, innovate, and raise capital. Our identification strategy exploits the staggered adoption of anti-troll laws in 32 US states. The laws lead to a 4.4% increase in employment at high-tech startups—an increase driven by IT firms, a frequent target of NPEs. Increased access to financing, both venture capital and patent-backed lending, is a key channel driving our findings. Measures aimed at curbing the threat posed by NPEs can thus help reduce the real and financing frictions faced by startups.

Suggested Citation

  • Appel, Ian & Farre-Mensa, Joan & Simintzi, Elena, 2019. "Patent trolls and startup employment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(3), pages 708-725.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:133:y:2019:i:3:p:708-725
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2019.01.003
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    3. Michael Klein & Yibai Yang, 2024. "Blocking Patents, Rent Protection and Economic Growth"," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 52, pages 1-20, April.
    4. Bereskin, Fred & Hsu, Po-Hsuan & Latham, William & Wang, Huijun, 2023. "So Sue Me! The cross section of stock returns related to patent infringement allegations," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    5. Rust, Roland T., 2020. "The future of marketing," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 15-26.
    6. Jeongsik “Jay” Lee & Hyun Ju Jung & Hyunwoo Park, 2023. "Rare is beautiful? Rareness, technology value, and the moderating role of search domain and knowledge maturity," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(4), pages 1019-1040, April.
    7. Dinopoulos, Elias & Grieben, Wolf-Heimo & Şener, Fuat, 2023. "A Policy Conundrum: Schumpeterian Growth or Job Creation?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    8. Zhang, Guanglong, 2023. "Regulatory-driven corporate greenwashing: Evidence from “low-carbon city” pilot policy in China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    9. Mahieu, Jeroen, 2020. "Creative Destruction? Local Business Conditions and the Earnings of Employees at Startups," MPRA Paper 98557, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Chao Wu & Yu Hua, 2023. "Does Environmental Regulation Have an Employment Dividend? Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-20, April.
    11. Duan, Ran, 2023. "Patent trolls and capital structure decisions in high-tech firms," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    12. Chen, Feng & Hou, Yu & Qiu, Jiaping & Richardson, Gordon, 2023. "Chilling effects of patent trolls," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(3).
    13. Jiang, Jiaoliang & Chen, Yulin, 2021. "How does labor protection influence corporate risk-taking? Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    14. Valerio STERZI & Jean-Paul RAMESHKOUMAR & Johannes VAN DER POL, 2020. "Non-practicing entities and transparency in patent ownership in Europe," Bordeaux Economics Working Papers 2020-10, Bordeaux School of Economics (BSE).
    15. Siddiqui, Sayla & Shams, Syed, 2023. "Media coverage and patent trolls: A study on US high-tech firms," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    16. Whited, Toni M, 2019. "JFE special issue on labor and finance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(3), pages 539-540.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Employment; Startups; Patent trolls; NPEs; Venture capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • G24 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Investment Banking; Venture Capital; Brokerage
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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