Inequality and Disparity in Patent Applications and Issuance Women Inventors

This article looks at the fact that Women are less likely to create technology that is patentable than men. Why is this? What should be done to increase the percentage of women inventors who develop technology that is patentable? What are the barriers that prevent women from obtaining patents? What can be done to make the patent system more equitable? Read on for some solutions.

Women are less likely than men to develop technology eligible for patents

In spite of an increasing number of women entering the field of science and engineering, only 12.8% of new patents issued in 2016 were to women. This rate remains below the proportion of women who are employed as scientists and engineers. This disparity is not the result of a lack of STEM education or employment. As a result, women are less likely to develop technologies that may become eligible for patents.

One reason for this gap is that women are more likely to study and research topics and solve problems that affect women than men. While women are more likely to produce research papers on topics and treatments affecting women, they are less likely to pursue patents for these ideas. As a result, many of the research papers that they write about never make it to the point where they can benefit patients. Therefore, society must take steps to encourage women to become scientists and engineers, says Shansky.

Fortunately, this gap is starting to narrow. Women are still less likely to develop technology eligible for patents than men, but researchers believe the gender gap will eventually disappear. In the meantime, a number of initiatives are being implemented to increase the percentage of women in technology-related fields. One example is creating more inclusive startup culture. Women should feel included in the startup culture and have opportunities to network with female entrepreneurs. Men studying women’s health can also help men empathize with their needs.

While the lack of gender parity isn’t the only reason women don’t pursue careers in science, there is an important role for institutions to take in addressing this issue. They can promote policies that make it easier for women to obtain technology eligible for patents. By creating an equal playing field, women can be better prepared to compete for the highest level of opportunities. They can also be a source of employment and a major contributor to the economy.

One study found that the gender gap was less pronounced among women in certain fields. The fields where women are least likely to develop technology eligible for patents include mechanical engineering, textiles and paper, and fixed constructions. In addition, women were less likely to specialize in electrical engineering than men in those fields. Among the top-ranked countries in terms of gender, the largest gender gap was in Germany, Italy, Japan, and South Africa.

Despite these findings, the research also suggests that women’s inventions are more likely to be rejected than those from men. Patent applications by women are also 2.5% less likely to be accepted than those by men, indicating potential bias in the patenting process. Addressing these barriers could help diversify the inventor pool, resulting in more women-centric inventions. It is important to note that patents are rarely given to individuals who do not have a formal educational background.

However, women’s participation in the IP system remains lower than that of men. While women are becoming more active in the field, the percentage of women involved in patenting will not be equal until 2070. However, this trend is encouraging. While women are making progress in many areas, the overall gap remains a large issue. For instance, while women are making greater numbers of inventions than men in technology, they are less likely than men to develop new technologies that are eligible for patents.

The number of women who work with men to develop technology eligible for patents has increased from 13% in 1998 to 31% in 2017. This gap continues to grow with gender. However, women are still far behind men in the development of new products and technology, and they are often unable to secure funding to protect their inventions. Even if the gender gap is narrowing, women will likely benefit from increased participation in the patenting process.

The PTO recently published the 2020 Update of its Progress and Potential report on women inventors of US patents. The February 2019 Progress and Potential profile documented trends in the percentage of patents with at least one woman inventor from 1977 to 2016. This update indicates slight increases in the percentage of women inventors, and that women will continue to make up a small percentage of patents. However, this gap must be closed.

Women are less likely to develop technology eligible for patents

According to the latest study, women are significantly underrepresented in patent applications. This gap is due to the fact that women earn less than men do when developing technology, so it makes sense that employers should help women with the cost of patent filing. Legal fees can run $15,000 or more, and women also are less likely to be awarded patents for their work. The United States Patent and Trademark Office should set up systems to track women’s progress in patenting their ideas.

However, the study found that the most common reason for this gap is systemic barriers. While women are often underrepresented in the biomedical sciences, the lack of support for their work in the field inhibits them from reaching their potential. Yet, half of the PhDs in life sciences in the United States are earned by women. Some women have overcome these challenges and become successful entrepreneurs. One such successful female inventor is Elina Berglund, a former particle physicist turned entrepreneur.

One of the reasons for the gender gap in patents is the fact that women inventors are often ignored. This is because they have lower exposure to innovation than men. However, studies show that patent applications by women are less likely to be cited by other examiners and applicants. Moreover, women’s patents are less likely to be granted to new products and technologies than men’s. Despite this, patents issued by women often do not require costly litigation costs.

To increase women’s participation in the patenting process, institutions must recognize the changing societal circumstances that affect women. By providing affordable childcare for all employees and promoting policies that ensure administrative tasks are not assigned to women, the institutions can create more equitable working conditions for everyone. Increasing the number of female inventors will lead to greater prosperity. And a more diverse patent system will promote technological advances. It is also good for society as a whole.

The participation of women in patenting varies considerably across countries and regions. Among technologies, those related to life sciences are usually most gender-balanced. Biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, organic fine chemistry, and food chemistry are all populated with more female inventors. On the other hand, engineering and mechanical-related technologies have the lowest participation of women. In particular, women rarely participate in patent applications related to mechanical elements, engines, civil engineering, machine tools, and transport.

While women are underrepresented in the patenting process, they are not entirely absent. Among women inventors, more than one-third of patent applications are rejected, highlighting the prevailing bias in our system. Removing these barriers might increase diversity in the inventor pool, and change the composition of new inventions focused on women’s health. The researchers also noted that this finding has a limited scope because it only looks at patented products that cater to binary differences.

The low percentage of women inventors may be partly due to the underrepresentation of women in STEM studies and the workforce. In 2018, only 22 percent of STEM professionals were women. Girls tend to take fewer science and math subjects than boys. More women in STEM will increase this proportion over time. It will continue to grow, and it may be the case that more women are tapped for STEM jobs. If the percentage of women in STEM fields continues to rise, there will be a corresponding increase in the number of patent applications with female inventors.

https://www.ycombinator.com/documents/
https://techcrunch.com/
https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/startup-resources
https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/fund-your-business
https://hbr.org/1998/11/how-venture-capital-works
http://patentpc.com/
http://uspto.gov/

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