This paper reports the findings of an empirical study of patent suits involving non-practicing entities (NPEs) in the U.K. between 2000 and 2010. Overall, we find that NPEs are responsible for 11% of all patent suits filed in the U.K. during this period. Though this is a small percentage by U.S....

This article reports the findings of an empirical analysis of the relative ages of patents litigated by practicing and non-practicing patentees. Studying all infringement claims brought to enforce a sample of recently expired patents, I find considerable variance. Product-producing companies...

Studies of the costs and benefits of university patent ownership have, to date, focused on life sciences technology. Increasingly, however, many of the most lucrative university-owned patents relate to computing and telecommunications, not genes or pharmaceuticals. In 2007, a University of...

This Essay is based on comments I submitted May 6, 2015 in response to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Request for Comments on Enhancing Patent Quality. It proceeds in two parts. First, I share two general observations about the PTO's current slate of New Quality Proposals: specifically,...

This Essay is based on comments I submitted May 6, 2015 in response to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Request for Comments on Enhancing Patent Quality. It proceeds in two parts. First, I share two general observations about the PTO's current slate of New Quality Proposals: specifically,...

The duration of a given patent's life is a factor of two variables: first, the maximum term of protection afforded by law, and second, its owner's willingness and ability to comply with periodic renewal obligations. This chapter reviews the theoretical and empirical literature related to both

This Comment responds to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Request for Comments on Enhancing Patent Quality, published February 5, 2015. It proceeds in two parts. First, I share two general observations about the PTO’s current slate of New Quality Proposals: specifically, it fails to...

This paper explores the characteristics of 238 patents on 94 "inventions" contributed by major multinational innovators to the "Eco-Patent Commons", which provides royalty-free access to third parties to patented climate change related innovations. By comparing the pledged patents to other...

Global climate change mitigation will require the development and diffusion of a large number and variety of new technologies. How will patent protection affect this process? In this paper we first review the evidence on the role of patents for innovation and international technology transfer in...