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Howei Wu, Jia Lin, Ho-mou Wu

In this paper we assess the quality of Chinese invention patents and study the impacts of patent subsidy programs implemented by each provincial region. We compile a comprehensive set of quality indicators to show that the technological and economic quality of Chinese patents did not decline with the recent jump of Chinese patents. Based on Chinese provincial panel data from 1995 to 2010, we find that the effect of patent subsidy policies on the technological quality of patents was significantly positive. However, the effect of patent subsidy policies on the economic quality of Chinese patents was insignificant. Our results also show that the effect of patent subsidy policies on the technological quality of Chinese patents depends on the growth rate of well-established or experienced innovators in patenting, rather than the growth rate of entrants or marginal innovators, suggesting that much more attention should be paid to the experienced innovators instead of marginal innovators in the design of public policy for the developing countries.

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