Worldwide patent and trademark filings increased in 2014, says WIPO

Patent and trademark applications worldwide grew to a record level in 2014, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has claimed.

The total number of patent applications filed across the globe was just under 2.7 million, a 4.5% increase from the previous year. Trademark applications rose to almost 7.5 million, up 6% from 2013.

WIPO data show that China was the most popular jurisdiction for patent applications. More than 900,000 applications were filed, with the US, Japan, Korea and the European Patent Office making up the rest of the top five popular locations to seek protection.

The number of patent applications in China grew by 12.5% from the previous year, and WIPO estimated that by the end of 2015 the jurisdiction will have surpassed 1 million patent filings.

It was a similar story for trademark filings. China was the driver of the growth, handling 2.2 million applications in 2014—an increase of 18.2% from 2013. The US, the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market and France were the next most popular locations for trademark applicants.

Industrial design applications were down in 2014 by 8% from the previous year, to 1.14 million. WIPO attributed this decrease to the sharp decline in filings in China.

Applications for plant variety protection reached a new high of 15,600—a 3.3% increase from 2013.

Francis Gurry, director general at WIPO, said: “Demand for intellectual property rights continued to grow around the globe in 2014.

“This underscores the central role that new technology and brand recognition play in determining success in today’s marketplace. It also highlights the important task that falls to IP offices in maintaining quality when examining IP applications,” he added.