Do references in transferred patent documents signal learning opportunities for the receiving firms?
In this study, we empirically investigate the role of references in patents in a firms technological learning and innovation when the patents are transferred (i.e., technology licensing activities) to these firms. This study is based on a sample of 68 Chinese high-tech firms that engaged in patent technology licensing while using a matching sample of non-licensee firms, and it examines covered patents in licensee agreements that were originally registered in the European Patent Office between 2000 and 2005. Empirical results indicate that the reference scope (defined as the number of different patent classesclasses that the examined patent does not belong toin the backward citations) and the time lag of the backward citations each has a positive effect and a negative effect on the licensee firms innovation outcomes respectively, measured as the number of Chinese patent applications during the 5years after the licensing year. However, it failed to find a positive effect of the science-based citations (defined as backward citations to journal articles) as we predicted.
reference scope science-based citations patent citations inward technology licensing reference time lag