Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship (벤처창업연구)

The Korean Society of Business Venturing (한국벤처창업학회)
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Patenting Dilemma for Startups: Number of Applied Patents, Patent Imitability, and Level of VC Funding

스타트업의 특허 딜레마: 특허수, 모방 가능성, 그리고 벤처 캐피털리스트 펀딩 수준

  • Received : 2019.05.09
  • Accepted : 2019.06.29
  • Published : 2019.06.30
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Abstract

Should a startup file for a patent subject to imitation in its quest to attract venture capital(VC) investors? Considering the US pharmaceutical biotechnology industry context, this paper attempts to answer this question by investigating the relations between the number of applied patents of startups, patent imitability, and the total amount of money the startups received as their first VC funding round. Data of 157 US-based pharmaceutical biotechnology startups founded in between 1995 and 2005 are analyzed. Empirical results from this study show that the number of applied patents is positively related to the total amount of money received at the time of the first funding round, and patent imitability is negatively related to the total amount of money received as first VC funding round. Nonetheless, the interaction term between the number of applied patents of startups and patent imitability came out as positive, raising interesting questions and implications for innovation-oriented startup entrepreneurs. The current study's empirical findings suggest that, in the pharmaceutical biotechnology sector, VC investors pay attention to the quantity and quality of the patents possessed by startups when they decide the level of funding. In particular, imitability of applied patents may not be a one-sided concept related to negative features such as the weak protectability of an invention. Rather, patent imitability may be a multi-facet element which also contains positive attractiveness of the startup's invention. Furthermore, it seems that the positive side of imitability can be augmented by the number of applied patents.

스타트업은 벤처캐피털 투자자들의 투자를 얻기 위해서 모방의 위험성을 감수하고서도 기술을 특허로 출원해야 하는가? 이러한 질문에 답하기 위하여 본 연구에서는 미국 제약바이오산업에서 스타트업이 출원한 특허와 특허 기술에 대한 모방가능성과 벤처캐피털로부터 받은 1차 펀딩 금액과의 관계를 연구하였다. 미국을 기반으로 1995년에서 2005년 사이 설립된 157개의 제약바이오 스타트업들의 데이터를 실증 분석하였다. 본 연구의 결과는 특허출원수가 많을수록 벤처캐피털로부터 받은 1차 펀딩 금액이 컸으며, 특허기술의 모방가능성이 높을수록 벤처캐피털로부터 받은 1차 펀딩 금액이 적었다. 특허출원수와 특허기술의 모방가능성의 상호작용 효과는 기대했던 것과는 달리 모방가능성이 높을수록 특허 출원수와 벤처캐피털로부터 받은 1차 펀딩 금액의 긍정적인 관계를 더욱 강화하는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 실증분석 결과에 의하면, 미국 제약바이오 섹터에 투자하는 벤처캐피털리스트들은 펀딩의 수준을 결정함에 있어서 스타트업이 보유한 특허의 양과 질을 동시에 고려하는 것으로 보인다. 특히, 출원 특허의 모방가능성은 회사의 발명에 대한 보호가능성을 낮추는 부정적인 측면만을 포함하는 단순한 개념이 아닌 것으로 나타났다. 오히려, 특허의 모방가능성은 스타트업의 특허가 다른 회사들에게도 매력적이라는 긍정적인 측면도 동시에 포함할 수 있다. 또한, 출원 특허의 수는 모방가능성의 긍정적인 측면을 더욱 강화하는 역할을 하는 것으로 나타났다.

Keywords

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