Factors that Influence the Propensity to Patent

This article provides a decision framework on the practice of engineering management regarding protection of product and process innovation through patents. It studies the influence that the innovation effort of a company and degree of codification of the innovations has on the propensity to patent. Additionally, we analyze how the sector that the company is engaged in and the type of innovation affect these relationships. The conclusions indicate that both the innovation effort of a company and the degree of codification of the innovations have a positive influence on this propensity; and that this influence is greater in some sectors of activity and also is greater for product and radical innovations.