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The European Patent System: A Descriptive Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Georg von Graevenitz

    (Queen Mary, University of London)

  • Antanina Garanasvili

    (Bournemouth University)

Abstract

The European Patent System consists of national patent offices (NPOs) and the supranational European Patent Office (EPO). EPO and the NPOs have granted patents in Europe side-by-side since 1980. The resulting patent system is complicated and less coordinated than might be expected. Firms must consider a number of variables when selecting the route of patenting they take within this system: price, rigour of examination, duration of examination, quality of legal redress. To date there is little descriptive evidence on how firms choose between EPO and national offices. This paper provides a rich descriptive analysis of patenting in Europe. We analyze how origin, size and technological focus of companies, affect how they choose among patent offices within the EPS and report differences in examination durations and grant rates across patent offices.

Suggested Citation

  • Georg von Graevenitz & Antanina Garanasvili, 2018. "The European Patent System: A Descriptive Analysis," Working Papers 94, Queen Mary, University of London, School of Business and Management, Centre for Globalisation Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:cgs:wpaper:94
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    File URL: http://cgr.sbm.qmul.ac.uk/CGRWP94.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Malwina Mejer & Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, 2012. "Economic incongruities in the European patent system," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 215-234, August.
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    6. Bronwyn H. Hall & Christian Helmers & Mark Rogers & Vania Sena, 2013. "The importance (or not) of patents to UK firms," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 65(3), pages 603-629, July.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • L20 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - General
    • K11 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Property Law

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