How Patent Rights Affect University Science

Laurent Bergé, Thorsten Doherr () and Katrin Hussinger
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Thorsten Doherr: ZEW, Centre for European Economic Research

DEM Discussion Paper Series from Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg

Abstract: How do intellectual property rights influence academic science? We investigate the consequences of the introduction of software patents in the U.S. on the publications of university researchers in the field of computer science. Difference-indifference estimations reveal that software scientists at U.S. universities produced fewer publications (both in terms of quantity and quality) than their European counterparts after patent rights for software inventions were introduced. We then introduce a theoretical model that accounts for substitution and complementarity between patenting and publishing as well as for the direction of research. In line with the model’s prediction, further results show that the decrease in publications is largest for scientists at the bottom of the ability distribution. Further, we evidence a change in the direction of research following the reform towards more applied research.

Keywords: patent rights; publications; economics of science; difference-indifference; estimation; model of science production. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I23 L38 O31 O34 O38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ipr and nep-sog
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http://hdl.handle.net/10993/51622 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: How patent rights affect university science (2023)
Working Paper: How Patent Rights Affect UniversityScience (2022)
Working Paper: How Patent Rights Affect University Science (2022)
Working Paper: How patent rights affect university science (2022)
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