Abstract

"Gadelius and Swedish Business in Japan: Co-creating Global Business as a Patent Agent "

Shigehiro Nishimura, Kobe University (s-nishimura@phoenix.kobe-u.ac.jp), Yunting Xie, Uppsala University (yunting.xie@fek.uu.se), Fredrik Tell, Uppsala University (fredrik.tell@fek.uu.se)

Patent agents emerged during the second half of the 19th century in many countries concurrently with increasingly sophisticated patent systems. Broadly defined, they are professionals assisting patentees in securing and managing intellectual property rights. They act as intermediaries not only between inventors and patent authorities, but also in markets for technology and international technology transfer via their networks. However, patent agents generally remained administrative actors with limited functions as business organizers.

Trading companies, on the other hand, often assumed more active roles in linking patented inventions to commercial realization. This paper investigates the role of trading companies in international patent activity. While trading companies are generally viewed as facilitators of trade, finance and information flows, some trading companies became deeply involved also in international patent activities. They connected inventions to economic entities aiming at its commercial realization. Still, very little is known about why and how these companies operated in similar roles to what traditionally has been ascribed to patent agents. Our aim is to discuss whether and how the concept of patent agents should be broadened to include also trading companies.

We study Swedish inventions patented in Japan before WWII. Over 1000 patents were granted in Japan to Swedes, which makes Sweden the country with the sixth largest share in this distant market. We analyze intermediaries that Swedish companies utilized in technical transfer to Japan, based on a linked Japan-Sweden patent dataset. Trading companies were a crucial link between Swedish patentees and the Japanese market. Many patents related to a Swedish trading company in Japan: Gadelius & Co. Gadelius not only built the connection between foreign inventors and local firms, but also became involved in patent management, licensing, and eventually local manufacturing. This contrasts to patent management of big western companies in Japan, which appointed local manufacturers as agents.