Title
An Empirical Study of Patent Grant Rates as a Function of Race and Gender
Abstract
In this article we examine the rate at which patent applications are granted as a function of the inventor's race and gender. Empirical analysis of more than 3.9 million U.S. applications finds minority and women applicants are significantly less likely to secure a patent relative to the balance of inventors. Further analysis indicates that a portion of this bias is introduced during prosecution at the Patent Office, independent of the quality of the application. Mechanisms underlying these disparities are explored. The article concludes with a discussion of our results and their interaction with patent law, innovation policy, and employment trends.
Department(s)
Accounting
Document Type
Article
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/ablj.12159
Publication Date
6-1-2020
Recommended Citation
Schuster, W. Michael, R. Evan Davis, Kourtenay Schley, and Julie Ravenscraft. "An Empirical Study of Patent Grant Rates as a Function of Race and Gender." American Business Law Journal 57, no. 2 (2020): 281-319.
Journal Title
American Business Law Journal
