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...

It is a crucial function of patent examination to make the patent scope consistent with the contribution of the invention to the state of the art. We assess this function using newly developed data on the scope of Japanese patent applications and grants. We find that the scope was narrowed in...