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Closing the Gender Gap in Patenting: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial at the USPTO

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Listed:
  • Nicholas A. Pairolero
  • Andrew A. Toole
  • Peter-Anthony Pappas
  • Charles A. W. de Grazia
  • Mike H. M. Teodorescu

Abstract

Analyzing a randomized control trial at the United States Patent and Trademark Office that was designed to provide additional help to applicants who do not have legal representation, we find heterogeneous causal impacts across inventor gender, driven primarily by an increase in successful negotiations by women inventor teams via the use of examiner's amendments. While both men and women applicants benefited, the probability of obtaining a patent was over 12 percentage points greater for women. Our results suggest that a portion of the gender gap in patenting could be eliminated through additional assistance during patent examination.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicholas A. Pairolero & Andrew A. Toole & Peter-Anthony Pappas & Charles A. W. de Grazia & Mike H. M. Teodorescu, 2025. "Closing the Gender Gap in Patenting: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial at the USPTO," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 281-310, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:17:y:2025:i:3:p:281-310
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20230253
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. deGrazia, Charles A.W. & Pairolero, Nicholas A. & Teodorescu, Mike H.M., 2021. "Examination incentives, learning, and patent office outcomes: The use of examiner’s amendments at the USPTO," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(10).
    2. Stuart J.H. Graham & Alan C. Marco & Richard Miller, 2018. "The USPTO Patent Examination Research Dataset: A window on patent processing," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 554-578, September.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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