We investigate incidence and evolution of patent thickets. Our empirical analysis is based on a theoretical model of … patenting in complex and discrete technologies. The model captures how competition for patent portfolios and complementarity of … patent thickets is introduced. European patent citations are used to construct measures of fragmentation and technological …

Post-grant validity challenges at patent offices rely on the private initiative of third parties to correct mistakes … made by patent offices. We hypothesize that incentives to bring post-grant validity challenges are reduced when many firms … benefit from revocation of a patent and when firms are caught up in patent thickets. Using data on opposition against patents …

Can patent protection and product market competition complement each other in enhancing incentives to innovate? In this … product market competition interact with the strength of patent rights. We provide empirical evidence of innovation responding … positively to the product market reform in industries of countries where patent rights are strong, not where these are weak. The …

Can patent protection and product market competition complement each other in enhancing incentives to innovate? In this … product market competition interact with the strength of patent rights. We provide empirical evidence of innovation responding … positively to the product market reform in industries of countries where patent rights are strong, not where these are weak. The …