Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0

Author-Name: Julio Raffo
Author-X-Name-First: Julio
Author-X-Name-Last: Raffo
Author-Email: julio.raffo@epfl.ch
Author-Workplace-Name: Chaire en Economie et Management de l'Innovation, MTEI, CDM, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne / CEPN, Université Paris Nord

Author-Name: Stéphane Lhuillery
Author-X-Name-First: Stéphane
Author-X-Name-Last: Lhuillery
Author-Email: stephane.lhuillery@epfl.ch
Author-Workplace-Name: Chaire en Economie et Management de l'Innovation, MTEI, CDM, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Title: How to play the “Names Game”: Patent retrieval comparing different heuristics

Abstract: Patent statistics represent a critical tool for scholars, statisticians and policy makers interested in innovation and intellectual property rights. Many analyses are based on heterogeneous methods delineating the inventors’ or firms’ patent portfolios without questioning the quality of the method employed. We assess different heuristics in order to provide a robust solution to automatically retrieve inventors in large patent datasets (PATSTAT). The solution we propose reduces the usual errors by 50% and casts doubts on the reliability of statistical indicators and micro-econometric results based on common matching procedures. Guidelines for researchers, TTOs, firms, venture capitalists and policy makers likely to implement a names game or to comment on results based on a names game are also provided.

Creation-Date: 2009-07


Number: cemi-workingpaper-2009-006

Classification-JEL: C63, C81, C88, O34
Keywords: patents, inventors, names, matching algorithm, indicators, PATSTAT

Handle: RePEc:cmi:wpaper:cemi-workingpaper-2009-006