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Early Patent Disclosure and R&D Investment in Family Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Katrin Hussinger

    (DEM, Université du Luxembourg)

  • Wunnam Issah

    (University of Leicester School of Business, UK)

Abstract

This paper shows that the American Inventor’s Protection Act, which introduced the disclosure of patent applications after 18 months, i.e. before a grant decision is taken and, hence, before it is known whether the respective technology receives legal protection, is associated with a reduction of family firms’ research and development (R&D) investment. This suggests that early disclosure of patent applications is perceived as a threat to family firms’ innovation activity and discourages their R&D investment. This finding deserves our attention because family firms account for a large share of the U.S. economy and a reduction of their R&D investment can have long-term consequences.

Suggested Citation

  • Katrin Hussinger & Wunnam Issah, 2023. "Early Patent Disclosure and R&D Investment in Family Firms," DEM Discussion Paper Series 23-17, Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg.
    • Handle: RePEc:luc:wpaper:23-17
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    File URL: https://hdl.handle.net/10993/59985
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    R&D investments; AIPA; Family firms; Socio-emotional wealth (SEW);
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • 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
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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