Explaining the Increase in Intellectual Property Disclosure

Tim Simcoe, Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

3/02/2008
(Original Publish Date: 12/8/2005)

This paper documents a large and rather sudden increase in intellectual property disclosure at nine standard setting organizations during the early 1990s. It also examines the specificity of disclosure statements, the significance of disclosed patents, and the differences between disclosing firms. After considering several possible explanations for the increase in disclosure, the paper concludes with a discussion its policy implications.