WIPO reveals US and China among top patent applicants
The US was again the frontrunner for international patent applications in a record-breaking year, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) figures show.
The figures, released today, March 13, show the number of filings under WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) reached 205,300 last year, the first time the figure has broken the 200,000 mark.
The 57,239 applications filed in the US surpassed the 2012 peak of 54,046, meaning the US retains its position as the world’s biggest filer.
China, which saw a 15.6 percent increase in applications, overtook Germany to become the third largest user of the system with more than 21,000, although Japan was the US’s closest competitor with just shy of 44,000.
Together, the US and China accounted for 56 percent and 29 percent respectively of the total growth last year.
Japan-based technology company Panasonic was the biggest single filer, with 2,881 published applications, overtaking ZTE Corporation, a Chinese telecommunications company.
The PCT system enables users to file patent applications in each of its 148 member states, although a decision on whether or not to grant the patents remains with the national or regional patent office.
Figures for trademark and design applications also hit record highs.
International trademark applications filed under the Madrid system grew to 46,829, a 6.4 percent increase on last year.
Germany, with 6,822 applications, retained its place at the head of the list.
International industrial design applications filed under the Hague system increased to 2,990, up 14.8 percent on last year.
Switzerland, with 662 applications, overtook Germany as the largest user of the system, while Swiss watchmaker Swatch AG was the largest individual filer, with 113 filings.
“The new records in international IP filings attest to the importance of intellectual property in the global innovation ecosystem,” said WIPO director general Francis Gurry.
“WIPO’s global intellectual property systems are an indispensable part of the global innovation ecosystem, providing cost-effective options to secure international coverage for the protection of IP,” he added.
