When Consumers Innovate To Solve Their Own Needs, Do Patents Just Get In The Way?

from the so-says-the-evidence dept

We were just discussing the White House's request for how to improve American innovation and, in my response, I mentioned just a few pieces of the recent research about problems with the patent system -- including the research by Eric von Hippel (which we had mentioned previously), which suggested that very theory behind patents is completely wrong. Patents are based on the theory that companies need an extra incentive to innovate. But what von Hippel's research had shown was that the vast majority of innovation actually came about because someone had a need for something, and then figured out how to create it. In other words, the incentive wasn't about how much money they could make, but in solving their own specific problem.

And, with a bit of perfect timing, the NY Times just put up an article covering the latest bit of von Hippel's research that extends the research we talked about from last year. It appears to still be the same basic research, but it notes that the vast majority of innovation these days doesn't even come from companies, but from individuals who are just trying to solve a problem for themselves. Once again, the point is that the very basis of the patent system seems to ignore this version of innovation, even though it's much more common than the mythical one on which the patent system is based.

The other interesting bit of news is that apparently various European governments -- from the UK, Finland and Portugal -- are quite interested in his research, with each contributing to help drive it forward. The US? Not so much: "there doesn't seem to be as much interest here." Great. So just as the US claims it wants to know how to remove barriers for innovation, one of the researchers, who actually has the research to help, can't get any attention.

Filed Under: eric von hippel, innovation, patents