PMC

Notes: The figure relates our examiner leniency measure, residualized by Art Unit-by-application year fixed effects, to two variables: (1) the patent grant rate and (2) the predicted patent grant rate, where we predict patent grant as a function of our two measures of patent value fixed at the time of application (patent family size and claims count). All measures are constructed in our first stage sample (N=14,476).

This figure plots the response of the probability of patent grant following an initial patent allowance, separately for high and low ex ante valuable patent applications, in our analysis sample. Regressions include art unit by application year by calendar year fixed effects and firm fixed effects, as in . 95% confidence intervals were constructed from standard errors two-way clustered by (i) art unit and (ii) application year by decision year. The horizontal short-dashed red line is (color version online) the pooled difference-in-differences estimate of the impact of winning a valuable patent on the probability of the patent having been granted. Q5 is quintile five of predicted patent value; <Q5 are the remaining four quintiles. Q5 coefficients are offset from their integer x-axis value to improve readability.

The Government Interests section of patent no. 9,550,998, DNA plasmids with improved expression, citing support from an NIGMS SBIR grant.

Chinese patents on agricultural biotechnology, 1985–2009.
Source: Authors' search of the SIPO patent database.
Notes: The “declining” trends in grants and foreign application occurred after 2005 because of time lags between the filing date, publication date, and the grant of recent patents.