The Effect of Application Fees on Entry into Patenting

Gaétan de Rassenfosse () and Adam Jaffe

No 33492, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Ensuring broad access to the patent system is crucial for fostering innovation and promoting economic growth. To support this goal, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office offers reduced fees for small and micro entities. This paper investigates whether fee rates affect the filing of applications by small and micro entities. Exploiting recent fee reforms, the study evaluates the relationship between fee changes and the number of new entrants, controlling for potential confounding factors such as legislative changes. The findings suggest that fee reductions alone are insufficient to significantly increase participation in the patent system among small and micro entities.

JEL-codes: O30 O31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ent, nep-ind, nep-ino, nep-ipr, nep-sbm and nep-tid
Note: PR
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