Abstract We test for evidence that the patent attorney has an extra-ordinary influence on the patent examiner using data on examiner citations of 93 608 patent applications to the USPTO. We find that examiners cite patents from the same patent attorney (as used for the focal application) at an abnormally high rate. This evidence is consistent with the view that attorneys are influencing the examiners reports. Coupled with new evidence that non-blocking examiner citations have a positive effect on the grant decision, this suggest that the grant decision may be compromised.

中文翻译：

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谁影响 USPTO 专利审查员？

摘要 我们使用审查员对 USPTO 的 93 608 项专利申请的引用数据来测试专利代理人对专利审查员具有非凡影响的证据。我们发现审查员以异常高的频率引用来自同一专利代理人的专利（用于焦点申请）。这一证据与律师正在影响审查员报告的观点是一致的。再加上新的证据表明非阻塞审查员引用对授予决定有积极影响，这表明授予决定可能会受到影响。