The USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset: Descriptions and Analysis

Recorded patent assignments have been maintained by the USPTO for over 40 years but have not been extensively utilized by scholars. One explanation is that they have not been in a form amenable for use in research. To help remedy this deficiency and foster research in the area of intellectual property, the Office of Chief Economist of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is releasing a series of datasets in formats convenient for researchers. This paper describes the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset, a database of roughly 6 million assignments and other transactions recorded during the 1970-2014 period and affecting about 10 million patents or patent applications. Since these data have not been commonly used, we provide a comprehensive description and present stylized facts to facilitate understanding and to motivate future research. Despite some limitations inherent in the data, release of the Patent Assignment Dataset opens multiple avenues for original research, particularly in the areas of intellectual property collateralization and the markets for technology and innovation.