Mapping the Problem Space of Innovation
Inventions are solutions to technical problems, but patent data are organized around the technology used rather than the problem addressed. Recovering this missing problem dimension reveals which inventions tackle the same challenge across different fields.
Are Patents Conducive to Innovation? Evidence from German Reunification
German reunification made previously public GDR knowledge enforceable as patents. This provides a natural experiment on how innovation responds when knowledge becomes enforceable intellectual property.
Limits to the Division of Innovative Labor: Evidence from the Pharmaceutical Industry
The paper examines how firms and academic researchers respond to increased demand for pharmaceutical innovation. Firms expanded product development quickly, while academic research changed little; firms with internal scientific capabilities later increased their own research.
What to Buy When Forum Shopping? Determinants of Court Selection in Patent Litigation
Using German patent litigation data, the paper studies why plaintiffs choose particular courts. Plaintiffs prefer shorter proceedings, especially when they compete with defendants, while distance also affects court selection.