Are Foreigners Treated Equally Under TRIPS?

23 Pages Posted: 12 Aug 2019

See all articles by Gaétan de Rassenfosse

Gaétan de Rassenfosse

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Paul H. Jensen

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research

T'Mir Julius

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research

Alfons Palangkaraya

Centre for Transformative Innovation, Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology; Swinburne University of Technology - Centre for Transformative Innovation

Elizabeth Webster

Swinburne University of Technology; University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research

Date Written: August 2019

Abstract

The TRIPS Agreement, administered by the World Trade Organisation, ensures the smooth functioning of the international patent system. It promises among others that local and foreign firms are treated in the same, non-discriminatory manner. We test for whether national treatment has been upheld in the five largest patent offices and document the existence of a systematic bias against foreign firms in patent examination decisions. We find that filing international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty can reduce some of the bias.

Keywords: discrimination, global patent system, national treatment

JEL Classification: O34, F13, F23, K2, K4

Suggested Citation

de Rassenfosse, Gaétan and Jensen, Paul H. and Julius, T'Mir and Palangkaraya, Alfons and Palangkaraya, Alfons and Webster, Elizabeth M., Are Foreigners Treated Equally Under TRIPS? (August 2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3434547 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3434547

Gaétan De Rassenfosse (Contact Author)

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne ( email )

Station 5
Odyssea 1.04
1015 Lausanne, CH-1015
Switzerland

Paul H. Jensen

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research ( email )

Level 5, FBE Building, 111 Barry Street
Parkville, Victoria 3010
Australia

T'Mir Julius

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research ( email )

Level 5, FBE Building, 111 Barry Street
Parkville, Victoria 3010
Australia

Alfons Palangkaraya

Swinburne University of Technology - Centre for Transformative Innovation ( email )

PO Box 218
Hawthorn, VIC 3122
Australia

Centre for Transformative Innovation, Faculty of Business and Law, Swinburne University of Technology ( email )

AGSE Building
Room 117
Hawthorne, Victoria 3121
Australia
+61392145826 (Phone)

Elizabeth M. Webster

Swinburne University of Technology ( email )

Cnr Wakefield and William Streets, Hawthorn Victor
3122 Victoria, Victoria 3122
Australia

University of Melbourne - Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research ( email )

Level 5, FBE Building, 111 Barry Street
Parkville, Victoria 3010
Australia

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