Green Patent: Promoting Innovation for Environment by Patent System

People usually emphasize the novelty and economic usefulness of an innovation but neglect its environmental impacts. This ideology was embodied into the institutional design of the patent system. In general, an innovation could be granted a patent if it can pass the examination of only three criteria: novelty, non-obviousness and usefulness. This kind of institutional design constrains the thinking process of the innovator in return - they strive to invent something new and profitable regardless of the environmental impacts. As a result, the environment is sacrificed. In this study, we try to explore a kind of institutional remedy. In order to alter the direction of technological development, we suggest refining the policy context of innovation, especially the patent system which motivates the innovation and diffuses the information. We introduce a new examination criterion, greenness, into the patent system, and discuss its feasibility and possible impacts. By incorporating this environmental concern into the patent examination, the patent system may encourage the innovator to invent "new, useful and green" products and processes. We call this kind of patent design "the green patent."