Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP6900
Authors: Georg von Graevenitz; Stefan Wagner; Dietmar Harhoff
Abstract: 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 patents affect patentingincentives. We show that lower technological opportunities increase patenting incentives in complex technologies while they decrease incentives in discrete technologies. Also, more competitors increase patenting incentives in complex technologies and reduce them in discrete technologies. To test these predictions a new measure of the density of patent thickets is introduced. European patent citations are used to construct measures of fragmentation and technological opportunity. Our empirical analysis is based on a panel capturing patenting behavior of 2074 firms in 30 technology areas over 15 years. GMM estimation results confirm the predictions of our theoretical model. The results show that patent thickets exist in 9 out of 30 technology areas. We find that decreased technological opportunities are a surprisingly strong driver of patent thicket growth
Keywords: complexity; patent portfolios; patent thickets; patenting; technological opportunities
JEL Codes: L13; L20; O34
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| lower technological opportunities (O14) | increase patenting incentives in complex technologies (O31) |
| lower technological opportunities (O14) | decrease patenting incentives in discrete technologies (O39) |
| increased competition in complex technologies (L63) | raise patenting incentives (O38) |
| more competitors in discrete technologies (L63) | reduce patenting incentives (O31) |
| decreased technological opportunities (O33) | growth of patent thickets (O34) |