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The Transfer of Patents in Imperial Germany

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2010

Carsten Burhop
Carsten Burhop*
Affiliation:
Professor of Economic and Business History, Universität zu Köln, Seminar für Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensgeschichte, Albertus-Magnus-Platz 50923 Köln, Germany; and Research Affiliate, Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung von Gemeinschaftsgütern. E-mail: burhop@wiso.uni-koeln.de.
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Abstract

We describe the transfer of patents in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Germany using a new database containing information on 20,000 transactions. The number of transactions shows an upward trend, in total numbers and as a share of patents in force. About 8 percent of patents were transferred at least once during their existence. Many transactions involved the transfer of patents with an above-average quality from individual inventors to firms and to newly created firms. In addition, valuable patents were transferred between firms. About two-thirds of all transfers occurred during the first three years of a patents’ existence.

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ARTICLES
Information
The Journal of Economic History , Volume 70 , Issue 4 , December 2010 , pp. 921 - 939
Copyright
Copyright © The Economic History Association 2010

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