EF4: Intellectual Property and Patent Trolls w/ Lauren Cohen and Scott Kominers

This podcast discusses the economics of intellectual property and patents.

We are joined by Lauren Cohen of Harvard Business School and Scott Kominers of the Harvard Society of Fellows. We start the conversation by discussing why patents are so important. We then talk about the recent rise of non-practicing entities (often called patent trolls), who collect patents with the sole intent of using them to sue other companies. We then go into detail about Lauren and Scott’s research on whether these non-practicing entities do more good than harm. In the process, Lauren and Scott explain the hilarious case of the Samsung Ice Skating Rink in Marshall, Texas and what they think is the best way to change the patent system to prevent abuse from patent trolls.

Books, Papers, and Courses Mentioned:

• Patent Trolls: Evidence from Targeted Firms by Lauren Cohen, Umit G. Gurun, and Scott Duke Kominers

• Patent Trolls and Technology Diffusion by Catherine Tucker

• Does Patent Litigation Reduce Corporate R&D? An Analysis of US Public Firms by Roger Smeets

• Why Do Patent Trolls Go to Texas? It’s Not for the BBQ

• For Samsung charity begins at “home”, Marshall, Texas

• Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank Int’l a key Supreme Court case about software patents.

• “Troll” Check: A Proposal for Administrative Review of Patent Litigation by Lauren Cohen, John Golden, and Scott Duke Kominers.