We show that examiner-driven variation in patent rights leads to quantitatively large impacts on several patent outcomes, including patent value, citations, and litigation. Notably, Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs) overwhelmingly purchase patents granted by "lenient" examiners. These examiners issue patents that are more likely to be litigated by both PAEs and conventional companies, and that also have higher invalidity rates. PAEs leverage a specific friction in the patent system that stems from lenient examiners and affects litigation more broadly. These patterns indicate that there is much at stake during patent examination, contradicting the influential "rational ignorance" view of the patent office.

中文翻译：

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打造知识产权：对专利主张实体、诉讼和创新的影响

我们表明，审查员驱动的专利权变化会在数量上对多项专利结果产生巨大影响，包括专利价值、引用和诉讼。值得注意的是，专利声明实体 (PAE) 绝大多数购买“宽松”审查员授予的专利。这些审查员签发的专利更有可能被 PAE 和传统公司提起诉讼，而且无效率也更高。PAE 利用专利制度中的特定摩擦，这种摩擦源于宽大的审查员并更广泛地影响诉讼。这些模式表明专利审查过程中存在很多利害关系，这与专利局具有影响力的“理性无知”观点相矛盾。