When Small is Beautiful: Measuring the Evolution and Consequences of the Voluminosity of Patent Applications at the EPO

Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, Dominique Guellec, Nicolas van Zeebroeck, , and Niels Stevnsborg
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Eugenio Archontopoulos () and Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie ()

No 5970, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: The joint increase in the number and size of patents filed around the world puts patent systems under pressure. This paper addresses issues in measuring the voluminosity of patent applications and highlights patterns in its evolution. The results - based on a 2 million EPO applications database - show that the average size of applications has doubled over the past 20 years and that it is mainly associated with PCT applications having a US priority. Voluminosity indicators are also influenced by geographical origins and technological areas and strongly impact the workload of the EPO, justifying the need for regulatory and policy actions.

Keywords: Patent drafting; Patent voluminosity; Patent applications; Patent statistics; Patent systems; Workload (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O31 O34 O50 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ino, nep-ipr and nep-pr~
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (38)

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Related works:
Journal Article: When small is beautiful: Measuring the evolution and consequences of the voluminosity of patent applications at the EPO (2007)
Working Paper: When small is beautiful: measuring the evolution and consequences of the voluminosity of patent applications at the EPO (2007)
Working Paper: When small is beautiful: measuring the evolution and consequences of the voluminosity of patent applications at the EPO (2006)
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