The reach of the patent system has substantially broadened in recent decades. Subject
matter extensions (to life forms, software and business methods) were not introduced by
parliaments, but by individual judges considering specific cases, often between private
parties. The focus in this thesis is whether these changes create a net economic benefit to
society. Because of the lack of data on patents, it is not possible to address this question
directly. The thesis therefore focuses on a critical aspect of patents: their inventiveness …