Non-practicing entities and transparency of patent ownership in Europe: the case of UK dormant companies
Valerio Sterzi,
Jean Paul Rameshkoumar and
Johannes van der Pol
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Jean Paul Rameshkoumar: GREThA - Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
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Abstract:
While various studies in the fields of law and economics have analysed the business models of patent aggregators and large non-practicing entities (NPEs) in the US, small NPEs operating in Europe typically escape academic and media attention. Here, to address this imbalance, we specifically identify and characterize the patent portfolios of NPEs registered as dormant companies in the UK and investigate whether they are created for the purpose of acquiring valuable IP assets or launching litigation campaigns. Our econometric analysis – based on more than two hundred NPEs registered as dormant companies in 2019 – supports the second hypothesis. Finally, as an illustrative example of how small NPEs use UK dormant companies to acquire and litigate patents in Europe, we describe the business model of Dragon Green Development Balboa SA, an entity incorporated in the Republic of Panama that controls thirteen UK dormant companies and which is involved in fourteen patent litigation cases in Germany. © 2021
Keywords: Balboa; Business Models; Dormant Company; Economics; Laws And Legislation; Media Attention; Non-Practicing Entity; Patent Assertion Entity; Patent Litigation; Patent Ownership; Patent Portfolio; Patent Transparency; Patent Trolls; Patents And Inventions; Transparency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ino, nep-ipr and nep-law
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)
Published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2021, 172, ⟨10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121069⟩
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Journal Article: Non-practicing entities and transparency of patent ownership in Europe: the case of UK dormant companies (2021)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03432871
DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121069
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