May 14, 2018 james bessen studies the economics of innovation and patents. A generation of software patents 52011 by james bessen boston university school of law, fellow, berkman center for internet and society abstract. The bessenhunt 198089 sample consists of 100 randomly selected patents that were selected as software patents by our algorithm. In an article written for the washington post, james bessen says, policymakers are increasingly focusing on the problem of frivolous patent litigation. March 16, 2004, the software patent experiment pdf hahn, robert. Moving beyond rhetoric, patent failure provides the first authoritative and comprehensive look at the economic performance of patents in forty years.
Meurer, bessen wrote patent failure princeton 2008. Their combined citations are counted only for the first article. Jan 22, 2007 thanks to peter bessen of may8software for providing a software agent to acquire our patent database and annette fratantaro for her work with the compustat data set. A generation of software patents, working papers 1102, research on innovation. Bessen was also a fellow at the berkman center for internet and society. The origins of taskbiased technical change, working papers 1101, research on innovation. In \\the software patent experiment,\\ bob hunt and jim bessen investigate whether this has, in fact, happened. James bessen is an economist and a lecturer at the boston university school of law. The patent troll crisis is really a software patent crisis. His research first documented the large economic damage caused by patent trolls. Its chock full of excellent information and a pretty wide survey of. Bessen researches the economics of innovation, including patents and economic history. The software patent experiment james bessen research on.
An empirical look at software patents bessen 2007 journal of. Its chock full of excellent information and a pretty wide survey of the research showing just how. Patent failure by james bessen, 97806914918, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Bessen is lecturer in law at the boston university school of law. It finds that most software firms still do not patent. Bessen is also the author of an empirical look at software patents, along with robert hunt. James bessen does research on technology and innovation at boston university school of law, including research on patent trolls. Hunt in a 2004 working paper discussing the impact of software patents on research and development. Bessen has done research on whether patents promote innovation, why innovators share new knowledge. The bessen hunt technique is a way of identifying software patents within the patent database of the united states patent and trademark office uspto by using keyword searching. Mar 24, 2020 james bessen is currently a berkman faculty associate and a lecturer in law at boston university school of law where he does research on the economics of technological innovation, including patents and freeopen source software. Bessen was also a fellow at the berkman center for internet and society bessen researches the economics of innovation, including patents and economic history. The static model we consider an industry consisting of two ex ante symmetric firms.
They are acquired primarily by large manufacturing firms in industries known for strategic patenting. It finds that most software firms still do not patent, most software patents are. James bessen is lecturer in law at the boston university school of law. Hunt federal reserve bank of philadelphia march 2004 abstract.
School of law, law and economics research paper no. Dec 01, 2014 what the courts did to curb patent trollingfor now. Bessen has done research on whether patents promote innovation, why innovators share new knowledge, and how technology affected. James bessen discusses software patents and patent reform. What the courts did to curb patent trollingfor now the. James bessen is currently a berkman faculty associate and a lecturer in law at boston university school of law where he does research on the economics of technological innovation, including patents and freeopen source software. James bessen on software patents software patents wiki. An empirical look at software patents james bessen research on innovation and boston university school of law visiting researcher robert m. Sep 03, 20 the patent troll crisis is really a software patent crisis. His studies focus on the economics of innovation and patents. He has also been a successful innovator and ceo of a software company.
External linka generation of software patents, 2011 study which concludes that software patent are not beneficial for society. How judges, bureaucrats, and lawyers put innovators at risk ebook written by james bessen, michael j. They describe the spectacular growth in software patenting, who obtains patents, and the relationship between a sharp focus on. A third of the economy is at stake and patent trolls are. How judges, bureaucrats, and lawyers put innovators at risk. James bessen explains why the patent crisis is mostly about software patents. His work on software patents has influenced policymakers in the us, europe, and australia. James bessen, a generation of software patents, boston univ. A third of the economy is at stake and patent trolls are to. It finds that most software firms still do not patent, most software patents are obtained by a few large firms in the software industry or in other industries, and the risk of litigation from software patents continues to increase dramatically. Why its mathematically impossible to avoid infringing on. But so far, policymakers havent given enough attention to the fact that the patent crisis is mostly about. Sep 15, 2014 the case against software patents, in 9 charts.
This study examines changes in the patenting behavior of the software industry since the 1990s. The case against software patents, in 9 charts vox. Also thanks to john allison, tony breitzman, joseph bush, and rosemarie ziedonis for sharing data with us. James bessen, jennifer ford and michael meurer, the private and social costs of patent trolls, boston univ. James bessen born 1950 is an economist who has been a lecturer at boston university school of law since 2004, and was previously a software developer and ceo of a software company. A generation of software patents, 2011 study which concludes that software patent are not beneficial for society. James bessen studies the economics of innovation and patents. Research on innovation and boston university visiting. Feb 21, 2011 james bessen and michael meurer ask whether patents work well as property rights, and, if not, what institutional and legal reforms are necessary to make the patent system more effective. James bessen is, along with michael meurer, the author of patent failure bessen is also the author of an empirical look at software patents, along with robert hunt bessen appeared in the patent absurdity video. For example, in a 2008 book, the researchers james bessen and michael meurer found that for nonchemical patents, the costs of patent litigation began to exceed the benefits of holding patents in. Aug 03, 2009 moving beyond rhetoric, patent failure provides the first authoritative and comprehensive look at the economic performance of patents in forty years. James bessen is lecturer in law at boston university school of law and. The bessenhunt 199698 test sample consists of 400 randomly selected patents from those years, of which 50 were identified as software patents, but 54 were true software patents.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read patent failure. The software patent experiment with james bessen, in patents, innovation and economic performance, conference proceedings. Patent failure presents a wide range of empirical evidence from history, law, and economics. What the courts did to curb patent trollingfor now. Patents on computer programs, financial processes and business methods have been controversial at least since the 1960s.
Meurer this post is the third in a series of posts based on empirical research in a new book, patent failure, by james bessen and michael meurer. Nov 18, 2015 james bessen is an economist and lecturer at boston university school of law. Software patents have grown rapidly in number and now comprise 15% of all patents. James bessen on software patents software patents wiki en. Organization for economic cooperation and development, 2004.
Nov 20, 2012 for example, in a 2008 book, the researchers james bessen and michael meurer found that for nonchemical patents, the costs of patent litigation began to exceed the benefits of holding patents in. Article a generation of software patents james bessen author information. The pto should be directed to draft rules assuring that. A generation of software patents boston university. James bessen and michael meurer ask whether patents work well as property rights, and, if not, what institutional and legal reforms are necessary to make the patent system more effective.
James bessen is an economist and lecturer at boston university school of law. Regulatory takings and proposals for change with timothy vandenberg, washington. In 2008 james bessen and michael meurer came out with a truly excellent book, patent failure. Dec 01, 2014 james bessen is, along with michael meurer, the author of patent failure. Sequential innovation, patents, and imitation final version published as james bessen and eric maskin, sequential innovation, patents, and imitation, rand journal of economics, 2009. For software patents and business methods, it seems the courts have largely eliminated this requirement burk 2002, burk and lemley 2002. Pr oper ty the private and social costs of patent trolls. James bessen is an economist who has been a lecturer at boston university school of law since 2004, and was previously a software developer and ceo of a software company. Hunt, an empirical look at software patents, working paper 0317r, federal reserve bank of philadelphia, 2004 bessen, james and robert m.
The bessenhunt technique is a way of identifying software patents within the patent database of the united states patent and trademark office uspto by using keyword searching. He has written about software patents with eric maskin, arguing that. Harpswell, me 04079 2077254237 abstract this study examines changes in the patenting behavior of the software industry since the 1990s. But software patents are particularly prone to such abuses because software is inherently conceptual. This report examines changes in the patenting behavior of the software industry since the 1990s. Bessen has done research on whether patents promote innovation, why innovators share new knowledge, and how technology affected worker skills historically.
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