Working Paper: NBER ID: w14926
Authors: Shihtse Lo; Dhanoos Sutthiphisal
Abstract: A switch to a first-to-file patent regime from its first-to-invent system has become imminent for the U.S. To learn about probable effects of such a policy change, we examine a similar switch that occurred in Canada in 1989. We find that the switch failed to stimulate Canadian R&D efforts. Nor did it have any effects on overall patenting. However, the reforms had a small adverse effect on domestic-oriented industries and skewed the ownership structure of patented inventions towards large corporations, away from independent inventors and small businesses. These findings challenge the merits of adopting a first-to-file patent regime.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: O3
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| first-to-file patent regime (O34) | R&D efforts (O32) |
| first-to-file patent regime (O34) | domestic-oriented industries (L69) |
| first-to-file patent regime (O34) | ownership structure of patents (O34) |
| ownership structure of patents (O34) | independent inventors and small businesses (O31) |