20/07/2010

"The Quality Factor in Patent Systems" - Bruno van Pottelsberghe

Bruno van Pottelsberghe's latest paper, "The Quality Factor in Patent Systems" puts forward a new methodology that aims atcomparing quality across patent systems.

Quality is defined as the extent to which patent systems comply with their own patentability conditionsin a transparent way. This definition makes it possible to gauge quality using a two-layer framework:the first layer is composed of the legal standards that describe the patentability conditions of anational patent system (subject-matter, novelty, inventiveness, fees). The second layer is characterisedby the operational design put in place to meet those legal standards.