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Exploring the Tail of Patented Invention Value Distributions

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Author Info
Dietmar Harhoff
Frederic M. Scherer
Katrin Vopel

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Abstract

Patent renewal studies reveal a highly rightward-skewed distribution of patent values. Our approach elicits valuations approximating those of the patented invention. This paper focuses on the full-term patents of the application year 1977 held by West German and U.S. residents. The tail of skewed distributions values account for a large fraction of the cumulative value over all observations. Several tests were conducted to pin down more precisely the nature of the high-value tail distribution. Three highly skew alternatives were evaluated by graphical and maximum likelihood techniques: the two-parameter log normal, the one-parameter Pareto-Levy, and the three-parameter Singh-Maddala distribution. A two-parameter log normal distribution appears to provide the best fit to our patented invention value data.

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG - (Der Wert patentierter Erfindungen - Eine empirische Analyse der Verteilungseigenschaften)
Wir analysieren die Verteilung der Erträge aus patentierten Erfindungen unter Nutzung von Daten, die in einer direkten Befragung der Patentinhaber ermittelt wurden. Das Papier konzentriert sich auf Patente deutscher Anmelder mit Anmeldungsjahr 1977, die die volle Laufzeit durch Zahlen der jährlichen Verlängerungsgebühren erreichten. Einige wenige besonders wertvolle Patente in unserem Datensatz stellen den Großteil des Gesamtwerts der Patente. Mehrere Tests werden durchgeführt um die Art der Verteilung der Erträge näher zu bestimmen. Dabei werden die Pareto-, die Singh-Maddala und die Lognormal-Verteilung verwendet. Die Lognormal-Verteilung scheint die von uns ermittelten Erträge aus patentierten Erfindungen am besten zu beschreiben.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB), Research Unit: Competition and Innovation (CIG) in its series CIG Working Papers with number FS IV 97-27.

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Length: 35 pages
Date of creation: Nov 1997
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Publication status: Published under the title "Exploring the Tail of Patented Invention Value Distributions" in: D. Harhoff, F. M. Scherer, K. Vopel (eds.): Patents: Economics, Policy and Measurement. Cheltenham, U.K. and Northampton, Mass.: Elgar, 2005, pp. 251-281.
Handle: RePEc:wzb:wzebiv:fsiv97-27

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Keywords: Patents Skew Distribution

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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. McDonald, James B & Ransom, Michael R, 1979. "Functional Forms, Estimation Techniques and the Distribution of Income," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(6), pages 1513-25, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Ariel Pakes & Mark Schankerman, 1979. "The Rate of Obsolescence Of Knowledge, Research Gestation Lags, and the Private Rate of Return to Research Resources," NBER Working Papers 0346, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Dietmar Harhoff & Francis Narin & F. M. Scherer & Katrin Vopel, 1999. "Citation Frequency And The Value Of Patented Inventions," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 81(3), pages 511-515, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Singh, S K & Maddala, G S, 1976. "A Function for Size Distribution of Incomes," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 44(5), pages 963-70, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Scherer, F. M., 1982. "Inter-industry technology flows in the United States," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 227-245, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Pakes, Ariel S, 1986. "Patents as Options: Some Estimates of the Value of Holding European Patent Stocks," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 54(4), pages 755-84, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Richard C. Levin & Alvin K. Klevorick & Richard R. Nelson & Sidney G. Winter, 1988. "Appropriating the Returns from Industrial R&D," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 862, Cowles Foundation, Yale University. [Downloadable!]
  11. Ariel Pakes, 1986. "Patents as Options: Some Estimates of the Value of Holding European Patent Stocks," NBER Working Papers 1340, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Cohen, Wesley M & Klepper, Steven, 1996. "A Reprise of Size and R&D," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(437), pages 925-51, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. McDonald, James B, 1984. "Some Generalized Functions for the Size Distribution of Income," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 52(3), pages 647-63, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Jean O. Lanjouw & Ariel Pakes & Jonathan Putnam, 1996. "How to Count Patents and Value Intellectual Property: Uses of Patent Renewal and Application Data," NBER Working Papers 5741, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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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. Harhoff, Dietmar & Hoisl, Karin, 2006. "Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Inventors (But Never Asked): Evidence from the PatVal-EU Survey," Discussion Papers in Business Administration 1261, University of Munich, Munich School of Management. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Michele Boldrin & David K. Levine, 2005. "Intellectual property and market size," Staff Report 360, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
  3. Raquel Fernandez & Alessandra Fogli, 2005. "Culture: an empirical investigation of beliefs, work, and fertility," Staff Report 361, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Michele Boldrin & David K. Levine, 2006. "Growth and Intellectual Property," NBER Working Papers 12769, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. Dietmar Harhoff, 1998. "Vertical Organization, Technology Flows and R&D Incentives: An Exploratory Analysis," CIG Working Papers FS IV 98-02, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB), Research Unit: Competition and Innovation (CIG). [Downloadable!]
  6. William Kingston, 2004. "Nelson's Concerns About Intellectual Property," Levine's Working Paper Archive 122247000000000461, UCLA Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  7. Charles I. Jones, 2004. "The Shape of Production Function and the Direction of Technical Change," NBER Working Papers 10457, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Cremers, Katrin, 2004. "Determinants of Patent Litigation in Germany," ZEW Discussion Papers 04-72, ZEW - Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung / Center for European Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
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