Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2014
Abstract
In this paper, we study the determinants of patent quality and volume of patent applications when inventors care about perceived patent quality. We analyze the effects of various policy reforms, specifically, a proposal to establish a two-tiered patent system. In the two-tiered system, applicants can choose between a regular patent and a more costly, possibly more thoroughly examined, 'gold-plate' patent. Introducing a second patent-tier can reduce patent applications, reduce the incidence of bad patents, and sometimes increase social welfare. The gold-plate tier attracts inventors with high ex-ante probability of validity, but not necessarily applicants with innovations of high economic value.
DOI
10.1111/joie.12055
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Atal, Vidya and Bar, Talia, "Patent Quality and a Two-Tiered Patent System" (2014). Department of Economics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 53.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/economics-facpubs/53
Published Citation
Atal, V., & Bar, T. (2014). Patent quality and a two‐tiered patent system. The Journal of Industrial Economics, 62(3), 503-540.