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The Bright Side of Patents

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  • Ljungqvist, Alexander
  • Farre-Mensa, Joan
  • Hegde, Deepak

Abstract

Motivated by concerns that the patent system is hindering innovation, particularly for small inventors, this study investigates the bright side of patents. We examine whether patents help startups grow and succeed using detailed micro data on all patent applications filed by startups at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) since 2001 and approved or rejected before 2014. We leverage the fact that patent applications are assigned quasi-randomly to USPTO examiners and instrument for the probability that an application is approved with individual examiners? historical approval rates. We find that patent approvals help startups create jobs, grow their sales, innovate, and reward their investors. Exogenous delays in the patent examination process significantly reduce firm growth, job creation, and innovation, even when a firm?s patent application is eventually approved. Our results suggest that patents act as a catalyst that sets startups on a growth path by facilitating their access to capital. Proposals for patent reform should consider these benefits of patents alongside their potential costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Ljungqvist, Alexander & Farre-Mensa, Joan & Hegde, Deepak, 2016. "The Bright Side of Patents," CEPR Discussion Papers 11091, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:11091
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    Cited by:

    1. Antoine Dechezleprêtre & Yann Ménière & Myra Mohnen, 2017. "International patent families: from application strategies to statistical indicators," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 111(2), pages 793-828, May.
    2. Heidi L. Williams, 2017. "How Do Patents Affect Research Investments?," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 9(1), pages 441-469, September.
    3. George A Shinkle & Jo-Ann Suchard, 2019. "Innovation in newly public firms: The influence of government grants, venture capital, and private equity," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 44(2), pages 248-281, May.
    4. Wang, Haoying & Dou, Shuming, 2018. "Determinants of Trademarking: Evidence from Arizona and New Mexico Startups," MPRA Paper 90096, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. M. D. Beneish & C. R. Harvey & A. Tseng & P. Vorst, 2022. "Unpatented innovation and merger synergies," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 27(2), pages 706-744, June.
    6. Karthik Krishnan & Pinshuo Wang, 2019. "The Cost of Financing Education: Can Student Debt Hinder Entrepreneurship?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(10), pages 4522-4554, October.
    7. Davit Khachatryan & Brigitte Muehlmann, 2020. "Measuring the drafting alignment of patent documents using text mining," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(7), pages 1-20, July.
    8. Bronwyn H Hall, 2019. "Is there a role for patents in the financing of new innovative firms?," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 28(3), pages 657-680.
    9. Kovács, Balázs, 2017. "Too hot to reject: The effect of weather variations on the patent examination process at the United States Patent and Trademark Office," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(10), pages 1824-1835.
    10. Davit Khachatryan & Brigitte Muehlmann, 2017. "Determinants of successful patent applications to combat financial fraud," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 111(3), pages 1353-1383, June.
    11. FUKUGAWA Nobuya, 2022. "Effects of the Quality of Science and Innovation on Venture Finance: Evidence from University Spinoffs in Japan," Discussion papers 22006, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    12. Prithwiraj Choudhury & Martine R. Haas, 2018. "Scope versus speed: Team diversity, leader experience, and patenting outcomes for firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(4), pages 977-1002, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    entrepreneurship; Innovation; Patents; R&d; Venture capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • 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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