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When small is beautiful: measuring the evolution and consequences of the voluminosity of patent applications at the EPO

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Author Info
Eugenio Archontopoulos () (European Patent Office, The Netherlands.)
Dominique Guellec () (OECD -DSTI, Paris.)
Niels Stevnsborg () (European Patent Office, The Netherlands.)
Bruno van Pottelsberghe () (Centre Emile Bernheim, Solvay Business School, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels)
Nicolas van Zeebroeck () (Centre Emile Bernheim, Solvay Business School, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels.)

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Abstract

The joint increase in the number and size of patents filed around the world puts patent systems under pressure.This paper addresses issues in measuring the voluminosity of patent applications and highlights patterns in its evolution. The results – based on a 2 million EPO applications database – show that the average size of applications has doubled over the past 20 years and that it is mainly associated with PCT applications having a US priority. Voluminosity indicators are also influenced by geographical origins and technological areas and strongly impact the workload of the EPO, justifying the need for regulatory and policy actions.

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File URL: http://www.solvay.edu/EN/Research/Bernheim/documents/wp06019.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function: Published version, 2008
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB) in its series Working Papers CEB with number 06-019.RS.

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Length: 25 pages
Date of creation: Nov 2006
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:sol:wpaper:06-019

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Related research
Keywords: Patent drafting; patent voluminosity; patent applications; patent statistics; patent systems; workload.;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
O31 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
O34 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Intellectual Property Rights
O50 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - General

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Bruno van Pottelsberghe & Didier François, 2006. "The Cost Factor in Patent Systems," Working Papers CEB 06-002.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Guellec, Dominique & Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, Bruno v., 2000. "Applications, grants and the value of patent," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 109-114, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. George Lazaridis & Bruno Van Pottelsberghe, 2007. "The rigour of EPO's patentability criteria: An insight into the "induced withdrawals"," Working Papers CEB 07-007.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
  4. Jean O. Lanjouw & Mark Schankerman, 1999. "The Quality of Ideas: Measuring Innovation with Multiple Indicators," NBER Working Papers 7345, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Nicolas van Zeebroeck & Bruno van Pottelsberghe & Wook Han, 2005. "Issues in measuring the degree of technological specialisation with patent data," Working Papers CEB 05-016.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. van Pottelsberghe, Bruno & van Zeebroeck, Nicolas, 2007. "A Brief History of Space and Time: the Scope-Year Index as a Patent Value Indicator Based on Families and Renewals," CEPR Discussion Papers 6321, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Nicolas van Zeebroeck & Bruno van Pottelsberghe, 2008. "Filing strategies and patent value," Working Papers CEB 08-016.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Schettino, Francesco & Sterlacchini, Alessandro & Venturini, Francesco, 2008. "Inventive Productivity and Patent Quality: Evidence from Italian Inventors," MPRA Paper 7765, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  4. Sterlacchini, Alessandro & Schettino, Francesco, 2008. "Determinants of patent withdrawals: evidence from a sample of Italian applications with the EPO," MPRA Paper 11220, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  5. Nicolas van Zeebroeck & Bruno Van Pottelsberghe & Dominique Guellec, 2006. "Claiming more: the increased voluminosity of patent applications and its determinants," Working Papers CEB 06-018.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Nicolas van Zeebroeck, 2007. "The puzzle of patent value indicators," Working Papers CEB 07-023.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
  7. George Lazaridis & Bruno Van Pottelsberghe, 2007. "The rigour of EPO's patentability criteria: An insight into the "induced withdrawals"," Working Papers CEB 07-007.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
  8. Gaetan de Rassenfosse & Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, 2008. "On the Price Elasticity of Demand for Patents," ECARES Working Papers 2008_031, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Ecares. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Gaétan de Rassenfosse & Bruno Van Pottelsberghe, 2007. "Per un pugno di dollari: A first look at the price elasticity of patents," Working Papers CEB 07-022.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Francois, Didier & van Pottelsberghe, Bruno, 2006. "The Cost Factor in Patent Systems," CEPR Discussion Papers 5944, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  11. Picci, Lucio, 2008. "The Internationalization of Inventive Activity: A Gravity Model Using Patent Data," MPRA Paper 12700, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  12. Nicolas van Zeebroeck, 2008. "Développement et impact des stratégies de dépôt de brevets," Working Papers CEB 08-041.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  13. Harhoff, Dietmar & Hoisl, Karin & Reichl, Bettina & van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, Bruno, 2007. "Patent Validation at the Country Level - The Role of Fees and Translation costs," Discussion Papers in Business Administration 2073, University of Munich, Munich School of Management. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  14. Nicolas van Zeebroeck, 2007. "Patents only live twice: a patent survival analysis in Europe," Working Papers CEB 07-028.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
  15. Gaetan de Rassenfosse & Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, 2008. "A Policy Insight into the R&D-Patent Relationship," ECARES Working Papers 2008_007, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Ecares. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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