Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: A Survey

Abstract

This survey reviews the growing use of patent data in economic analysis. After describing some of the main characteristics of patents and patent data, it focuses on the use of patents as an indicator of technological change. Cross-sectional and time-series studies of the relationship of patents to R&D expenditures are reviewed, as well as scattered estimates of the distribution of patent values and the value of patent rights, the latter being based on recent analyses of European patent renewal data. Time-series trends of patents granted in the U.S. are examined and their decline in the 1970s is found to be an artifact of the budget stringencies at the Patent Office. The longer run downward trend in patents per R&D dollar is interpreted not as an indication of diminishing returns but rather as a reflection of the changing meaning of such data over time. The conclusion is reached that, in spite of many difficulties and reservations, patent data remain a unique resource for the study of technical change.

Effect of Government Actions on Technological Innovation for SO2 Control

“…Patent Activity Analysis. Researchers have long used patents as a measure and descriptive indicator of inventive activity (18). Patents provide detailed and publicly accessible technical and organizational information for inventions over a long period of time.…”

Technological-level evaluation using patent statistics: model and application in mobile communications

“…Within many economics and technology management disciplines, patent statistics have become well defined and established as a proxy factor for the measure of technological capacity and accepted as (albeit imperfect) statistics for innovation and R&D production in the absence of more robust measures [25][26][27]. Patent application and registration is also a system that companies and institutes use to perfect their technological innovations, and for legal reasons, patent-filing information is systematically registered by national government offices [28].…”

“…Much research has shown a positive relationship between patenting and R&D institute or company performance, provided that patent applications are weighted according to their quantity and quality [25,29]. The patent statistics used in this Table 2 summarizes an important set of statistics used to analyze technological strategy.…”

“…The patent statistics used in the Patent AIMC model are the PAI, PII, PMI, and PCI, as described in Table 3. The selected patent statistics are empirically derived from literature reviews and patent professionals survey which have shown a positive relationship between patenting and technological capability if patent applications are weighted according to their quantity and quality [25,29]. The appropriate and weighted patent applications quantity statistics are patent activity and intensity index.…”

R&D and Aggregate Fluctuations

“…For this reason, we also present alternative measures of H Rt and H Ct , computed simply as employment divided by population. 25 As in Fisher (2006), the price index of capital investment, P K , corresponds to the price of total investment and is constructed with the equipment de ‡ator and the NIPA (National Income and Product Accounts) de ‡ators for residential and nonresidential structures, consumer durables and government investment. The equipment de ‡ator was constructed by Gordon (1990) for the years up to 1980 and was extended by Cummins and Violante (2002) for the years up until 2000.…”