Intellectual Property Data
G
Global Patent and Citation/Cited Data
Global Patent Basic Information
Global Patent Citation Information
Global Patent Cited Information
Global Patent Cited Literature Information
Global Patent Event
Global Patent Classification Number
E
European Patent Office Patent DataNEW
U
UK Patent and Citation/Cited DataNEW
UK Patent Basic Information Table
UK Patent Citation Information Table
UK Patent Cited Information Table
UK Patent Cited Literature Information Table
UK Patent Event Table
UK Patent Classification Number Table
C
Chinese Patent and Citation/Cited Dataicon
Chinese Patent Basic Information Table
Chinese Patent Citation Information Table
Chinese Patent Cited Information Table
Chinese Patent Cited Literature Information Table
Chinese Patent Event Table
Chinese Patent Classification Number Table
J
Japanese Patent and Citation/Cited DataNEW
Japanese Patent Basic Information Table
Japanese Patent Citation Information Table
Japanese Patent Cited Information Table
Japanese Patent Cited Literature Information Table
Japanese Patent Event Table
Japanese Patent Classification Number Table
E
European Patent and Citation/Cited DataNEW
European Patent Basic Information Table
European Patent Citation Information Table
European Patent Cited Information Table
European Patent Cited Literature Information Table
European Patent Event Table
European Patent Classification Number Table
U
U.S. Patent and Citation/Cited DataNEW
U.S. Patent Basic Information Table
U.S. Patent Citation Information Table
U.S. Patent Cited Information Table
U.S. Patent Cited Literature Information Table
U.S. Patent Event Table
U.S. Patent Classification Number Table
S
South Korean Patent and Citation/Cited DataNEW
South Korean Patent Basic Information Table
South Korean Patent Citation Information Table
South Korean Patent Cited Information Table
South Korean Patent Cited Literature Information Table
South Korean Patent Event Table
South Korean Patent Classification Number Table

  According to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce, China's invention patent applications have ranked first globally for eight consecutive years as of 2018. However, quantity does not equate to quality. Just as citation counts measure academic paper quality, patent citations serve as a core indicator for assessing patent quality.

  Patent citations occur when later patent applicants or examiners reference prior patents, indicating technological connections between inventions. Originating from the Science Citation Index (SCI), this concept evolved into patent citations through knowledge networks formed by technical document references. Around February 1947, the USPTO first implemented listing relevant references on granted patents to evaluate technical solutions. Modern patent citation information primarily comes from two sources:

  • Disclosures by inventors in patent specifications (e.g., "Background Technology" sections) to differentiate their inventions from prior art and demonstrate novelty. For instance, the Chinese patent system mandates applicants to submit all relevant technical materials through Information Disclosure Statements (IDS) during application processes.
  • References added by patent examiners during substantive examinations to assess novelty and inventiveness through prior art searches.

Patent citation data serves two critical academic purposes:

  • Tracing technological evolution and knowledge flows. Since Narin (1994) introduced bibliometrics into patent analysis, citations have been recognized as objective indicators of knowledge linkages. Citation networks reveal innovation dynamics and cross-sectoral knowledge transfer patterns.
  • Measuring innovation quality and value. Citation counts help evaluate patent significance beyond mere quantity metrics, addressing the heterogeneity in innovation outputs.

  The seminal work Patents, Citations and Innovations by Adam Jaffe and Manuel Trajtenberg established methodologies for analyzing patent value and technological trends through citation relationships.

  Compared with the domestic version, USDataverse's Chinese Patent and Citation/Cited Data features unique characteristics as outlined below.

Data Characteristics

  • Covers both domestic citations and international citations to Chinese patents from foreign-filed applications
  • Includes comprehensive citation-out (patents cited) and citation-in (citing patents) information
  • Tracks current legal status of patents across jurisdictions
  • Identifies examiner-added citations during prosecution

Citing Publications

Application Guides

Repost: Research Applications of Patent Citation Data

Repost: Understanding the Relationship Between Citation Counts and Patent Value

Repost: Mining High-Value University Patents Through Inventor Citation Analysis

Repost: Proper Use and Common Misuses of Patent Data in Finance and Economics Research

Repost: Chinese Patent Numbering System

Time Range

  • Invention applications: 1985-2024 (by publication date)
  • Granted patents/Utility models/Designs: 1985-2024 (by grant date)

Field Description

Sample Data

Chinese Patent Basic Information Table

Chinese Patent Citation Information Table

Chinese Patent Cited Information Table

Chinese Patent Event Table

Chinese Patent Cited Literature Information Table

Chinese Patent Classification Number Table

References

  • Jan Bena, Hernán Ortiz-Molina, Elena Simintzi, 2022, “Shielding firm value: Employment protection and process innovation”, Journal of Financial Economics.
  • Moser, P., J. Ohmstedt and P. W. Rhode, 2018, “Patent Citations-an Analysis of Quality Differences and Citing Practices in Hybrid Corn”, Management Science.
  • Jaffe, A. B., M. Trajtenberg and R. Henderson, 1993, “Geographic Localization of Knowledge Spillovers as Evidenced by Patent Citations”, The Quarterly Journal of Economics.
  • Roach, M. and W. M. Cohen, 2013, “Lens or Prism? Patent Citations as a Measure of Knowledge Flows from Public Research”, Management Science.
  • Josh L , Amit S., 2021, "The Use and Misuse of Patent Data: Issues for Finance and Beyond", The Review of Financial Studies.

Update Frequency

Annual Update