Why Patents Have Lower Citation on Non-Patent References?: A Case Study from Taiwan

摘要

In the recent years, we have witnessed the increasing on importance of researches in patent analysis, especially in non-patent references (NPRS), as patents become the key intangible assets of enterprises. While many people want to know the degree of linkage between the science and technology through the analysis of NPRS, some of the scholars did show that the number of NPR citations is positively correlated with the degree of science linkage. Other related studies also investigate the issue mainly by looking at the process of how science is transformed into technology. Nevertheless, there remain a lot of questions, such as how the characteristics of technologies in patent and the types of patent affect the number of NPRs, which are still unknown to both academia and industrial practitioners. Consequently, the study aims to explore the issue in depth. We use the case study as main research method and interview experts from universities, law firms, high-technology companies, research institutes, and government IPO (intellectual property office). The issue is even watched at the national level in Taiwan since Taiwan is currently ranked at 5th place in patent numbers issued by USPTO, but the average number of its NPR citations is much lower than other counterparts. The preliminary results indicate that although patents with lower NPR citations mean their weaker linkage with scientific efforts and inventions, the other issues are also very important in interpreting underlying reasons for low NPRs: (1) Which industrial sectors (such as biotechnology vs. electronics) the patents belong to? (2) What is the degree of technological complexity embodied in patents? (3) Is English the mother language of inventors and assignees? (4) Are databases of scientific journals sufficiently provided with for patent reviewers and attorneys? The study finally addresses the implications of research results to both government policy makers and industrial practitioners.