In this article, we attempt to answer some fundamental questions regarding the role played by the courts in the patent system by examining a set of patent cases in great detail. To this end, we have constructed a new database based on court docket reports for all patent cases filed in 1995 and 1997 and tracked the evolution of these cases (about 3700 cases) through to settlement or adjudication on the merits. The focus of this effort is on keeping track of a number of variables to understand the precise disposition of each case.
Supplement Note
Published in : Washington University Law Review, Vol. 84, pp. 237-312, 2006