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Roadblock to Innovation: The Role of Patent Litigation in Corporate R&D

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  • Filippo Mezzanotti

    (Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208)

Abstract

I examine how patent enforcement affects corporate research and development (R&D), exploiting the legal changes induced by the Supreme Court decision eBay v. MercExchange . This ruling increased courts’ flexibility in remedying patent cases and effectively lowered the potential costs of patent litigation for defendants. For identification, I compare innovative activity across firms differentially exposed to patent litigation before the ruling. Across several measures, I find that the decision led to a general increase in innovation. This result confirms that the changes in enforcement induced by the ruling reduced some of the distortions caused by patent litigation. Exploring the channels, I show that patent litigation negatively affects investment because it lowers the returns from R&D and exacerbates its financing constraints.

Suggested Citation

  • Filippo Mezzanotti, 2021. "Roadblock to Innovation: The Role of Patent Litigation in Corporate R&D," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(12), pages 7362-7390, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:67:y:2021:i:12:p:7362-7390
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2020.3816
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    2. Sterzi, Valerio & Maronero, Cecilia & Orsatti, Gianluca & Vezzulli, Andrea, 2023. "Non-Practicing Entities and their patent acquisition activity in Europe," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 202322, University of Turin.
    3. Sterzi, Valerio & Maronero, Cecilia & Orsatti, Gianluca & Vezzulli, Andrea, 2023. "Non-Practicing Entities and their patent acquisition activity in Europe," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 202306, University of Turin.
    4. Chen, Jianqiang & Hsieh, Pei-Fang & Wang, Kun, 2023. "Cracking down on the infringement and counterfeiting: Intellectual property rights and corporate innovation in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 55(PA).

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