Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich, Room 313
Patents play an important role in the market for technologies by facilitating the transfer of knowledge from innovators to practicing firms and enabling commercialization of innovative ideas. The timing of commercialization has been shown to be highly dependent on the exact timing of patent grant, when the major part of uncertainly over the scope of allowed claims is resolved (Gans, Hsu & Stern, 2008). But does the pendency of a patent application at the patent office also decrease the overall salability of a technology? In this paper, I study the effect of the USPTO's Prioritized Examination (Track One) Program on the likelihood that a patent will be commercialized. I compare applications that have undergone accelerated examination process under this program to applications with similar observable characteristics filed before the inception of the program. I find that prioritized applications have a higher propensity to be reassigned, suggesting that longer pendency at the patent office may reduce the commercialization of inventions.
Contact Person: Dr. Fabian Gaessler