Title: The diversity of agents and patent thicket evolution in electric vehicles

Authors: Artemio Chávez; Arturo Lara

Addresses: Programa de Estudios sobre Complejidad, Cognición e Instituciones (PECCI), Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, Calzada del Hueso 1100, Col. Villa Quietud, Delegación Coyoacán, C.P. 04960, Ciudad de México ' Programa de Estudios sobre Complejidad, Cognición e Instituciones (PECCI), Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, Calzada del Hueso 1100, Col. Villa Quietud, Delegación Coyoacán, C.P. 04960, Ciudad de México

Abstract: The evolution of the inventive process in electric vehicles has been increasingly complex and thus the probability of patent thicket too. However, patent agents (individual inventors, companies, non-practicing entities and alliances) are not homogeneous in interests and abilities. Based on information from the Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in the period 1976-2012, it is described: 1) the growing complexity in the inventive activity of electric vehicles; 2) the characteristics and evolution in the inventive activity of agents; 3) the relation with patent thickets. It is shown that the evolution of patent thickets (from low to high complexity) is associated to the evolution of technological knowledge as well as the evolution of the agents.

Keywords: patent thicket; diversity of agents; complexity; electric vehicles; intellectual property; anticommons; patent networks.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2020.105309

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2020 Vol.20 No.1, pp.76 - 107

Received: 15 Aug 2018
Accepted: 05 Apr 2019
Published online: 24 Feb 2020 *

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