The promise of a Global Patent: Insights from System Archetypes

Intellectual property laws explicitly cement the contract between entrepreneur and society. New ideas, goods, and services protected by patent regulation offer inventors an opportunity for wealth, while simultaneously offering society the promise of an improved standard of living. Unfortunately, global flattening threatens both partners in this agreement. Growing populations and economies around the world force entrepreneurs to plan for multiple markets. These forces drive an attendant increase in patent submissions that lead to greater pendency periods and escalating backlogs, in multiple countries. In turn, this leads to increased costs. Thus, the fragmented, multiple patent systems around the world offer ever less protection, while escalating costs and delaying the promise of a better life. Consequently, a key question arises: if a Global Patent System (GPS) were to be implemented, what can stakeholders in the future contracts between entrepreneurs and society learn from a Systems Archetypes perspective? In particular, the Tragedy of the Commons archetype is investigated and highlights not only the promise of a global system, but also the dangers inherent in implementing such a complex change. Implications for a successful global system are discussed. Overall, the ideal GPS will stress the importance of early and continual investment of resources.