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Patenting Inventions or Inventing Patents? Continuation Practice at the USPTO

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  • Cesare Righi
  • Timothy Simcoe

Abstract

Continuations allow inventors to add new claims to old patents, leading to concerns about inadvertent infringement and holdup. We study the use of continuations to obtain standard essential patents (SEPs), a setting where patents are easily linked to possibly infringing technology. Continuation filings increase after standard publication. This effect is larger when patent examiners are more lenient, and for applicants with licensing-based business models. Claims of SEPs also become more similar after standard publication, and late claiming is positively correlated with litigation. Our findings suggest widespread use of continuations to “invent patents” that are infringed by already-published standards.

Suggested Citation

  • Cesare Righi & Timothy Simcoe, 2020. "Patenting Inventions or Inventing Patents? Continuation Practice at the USPTO," NBER Working Papers 27686, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:27686
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Brian J Love & Yassine Lefouili & Christian Helmers, 2023. "Do Standard-Essential Patent Owners Behave Opportunistically? Evidence From U.S. District Court Dockets," American Law and Economics Review, American Law and Economics Association, vol. 25(1), pages 300-337.
    2. Bonani, Michela, 2023. "Essays on innovation, cooperation, and competition under standardization," Other publications TiSEM 1c87d7fc-2c24-430a-9d4e-1, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

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    JEL classification:

    • K11 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Property Law
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality
    • O34 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Intellectual Property and Intellectual Capital

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