Can Universities Profit from General Purpose Inventions? The Case of Canadian Nanotechnology Patents

Ahmad Barirani*, Catherine Beaudry, Bruno Agard

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

    Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

    Abstract

    The lack of control over downstream assets can hinder universities’ ability to extract rents from their inventive activities. We explore this possibility by assessing the relationship between invention generality and renewal decisions for a sample of Canadian nanotechnology patents. Our results show that general purpose inventions enjoy a longer legal life. Although private sector organizations renew their patents at a higher rate than universities, the gap between the two sectors decreases as invention generality increases. However, there is little indication that the most general purpose inventions owned by universities survive for longer than the ones owned by private sector organizations.
    OriginalsprogEngelsk
    TidsskriftTechnological Forecasting and Social Change
    Vol/bind120
    Sider (fra-til)271-283
    Antal sider13
    ISSN0040-1625
    DOI
    StatusUdgivet - jul. 2017

    Emneord

    • University-industry linkages
    • General purpose technologies
    • Nanotechnology
    • Technology transfer
    • Markets for technology
    • Complementary assets

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