Intellectual property registration strategies in domestic and foreign contexts

Jefferson Luiz Bution, Fábio Lotti Oliva and Eduardo Pinheiro Gondim de Vasconcellos

Innovation & Management Review, 2026, vol. 23, 1-14

Abstract: PurposeThis study examines the key drivers behind intellectual property (IP) registrations across countries, with a focus on International Intellectual Property Registration Strategies (IIPRSs).Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from 98 countries to examine the net effects of IIPRS on patent, industrial design and trademark filings by both residents and non-residents. Sixteen variables sourced from international organizations were analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results indicate that the causal relationships unfold in three stages: first, a country’s business-friendly environment positively affects purchasing power and the allocation of resources to research and development (R&D); second, R&D investments drive domestic IP applications but do not motivate foreign filings; and third, consumption capacity encourages IP registrations by both locals and foreigners, with a stronger effect observed among foreign applicants.Research limitations/implicationsOne challenge involved compiling a reliable dataset due to variations across sources and methodological changes in the data series. Future research should adopt longitudinal approaches to capture changes over time.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that managers of innovative firms can make more informed decisions about where to file for IP protection, where to invest and how to balance legal protections with trade secrets. For policymakers, effectively attracting technologies and intellectual investments requires strategically balancing market potential and R&D efforts.Originality/valueThis study highlights how the sophistication of IIPRS reshapes the hierarchy of motivations driving foreign investments in international IP registration.

Keywords: Business environment for innovation; Consumption capacity; Intellectual property applications; Intellectual property filings; International attractiveness of intellectual property; International intellectual property registration strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:inmrpp:inmr-01-2024-0027

DOI: 10.1108/INMR-01-2024-0027

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