A small study from Stanford University and the University of California Hastings College of the Law has found patent licensing has little impact on innovation.
The study, based on 188 responses, by co-authors Robin Feldman from the University of California Hastings College of the Law and Mark Lemley from Stanford Law School surveyed 11 industries for whether patent licensing leads to what they called "markers of innovation". These markers are formation of joint ventures, new products or new product features added with the technology they licensed, or whether the patent holder transferred any knowhow or anything else related to the patent license as a result of asserting that patent.
