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This study contributes to the addressing of the
Patent-R&D relationship from a new perspective, analyzing
a crucial yet ignored question: Can more patents have a
negative effect on R&D investment? Offering an extensive
synthesizes of existing theoretical and empirical literature,
we focus on the arguments that might sustain a negative
impact of patents over R&D. The Patent system seems to
have created an incentive to massive patenting with no
perceivable significant(maybe even negative as our results
show) impact on R&D and as for certain introduced a set
of costs that may actually lower the optimal R&D investment level of firms and slow down technological
progress. This book builds a strong case against the
one-size-fits-all approach of IPR legislation across
different technological fields and across different stages of
country development, providing an intresting reading both for
policy makers, as well as academic researchers. Nevertheless,
its comprehensiveness and easy-to-read text also makes it
suitable for the general public.

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