We investigate how a deferred patent examination system promotes ex-ante screening of patent applications, which reduces both the number of granted patents and the use of economic resources for examinations, without reducing the return from R&D. Based on a real option theory, we develop a model...

While numerous researchers can access current large patent databases, the presence of numerous non-standard applicant names presents a huge obstacle to their effective use. This paper explains the characteristics of Japanese patent applicant names and offers a potential solution to current...