We survey the economic literature, both theoretical and empirical, on the choice of
intellectual property protection by firms. Our focus is on the trade-offs between using patents …

This review surveys recent research on the economics of patents. The topics covered
include theoretical and empirical evidence on patents as incentives for innovation, the …

This paper employs data from a large-scale survey (InnoS&T) of inventors in Europe, the
USA, and Japan who were listed in patent applications filed at the European Patent Office …

Using population-wide data on inventors and their demographic characteristics, the paper
analyzes trends and patterns by technologies in age, the level of education, and gender …

This paper explores the growing importance of intangible assets as a potential source of
innovation and productivity gains, and the contribution of efficient resource allocation to this …

Like the US before it, Japan has adopted a series of policy initiatives designed to encourage
the commercialization of academic science. However, such initiatives may also adversely …

Technology licensing is an important means for companies to extract more value from their
intellectual assets. We build a model that helps understand how licensing activity should be …

This paper estimates the effect of a patent grant on the likelihood that an invention will
progress to different commercialization stages, using survey data on 3,162 inventions that …

This study examines how university knowledge spills over into small technology-based firms
in Japan. Estimated Heckman selection models taking into account the timing of university …

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