European patent filings reach new high
Increasing interest from Chinese and US businesses was responsible for the number of European patent filings reaching a record total last year, data from the European Patent Office (EPO) has revealed.
Last year, around 279,000 patent applications were filed at the EPO, up from 274,000 in 2014, an increase of 1.6%.
The number of European patent applications hit 160,000, a 4.8% increase compared to 2014’s figure of 152,700. The EPO said the growth was down to businesses in China and the US, from where the number of applications increased by 22% and 16% respectively.
The upcoming Unified Patent Court was also cited as a reason for the increase and the EPO said it is confident that the agreement will be ratified by the end of 2016.
Dutch technology company Philips filed the most applications in 2015 with 2,402, followed by Samsung (2,366) and LG (2,091).
Benoît Battistelli, president of the EPO, said: “The remarkable growth at the EPO proves that Europe continues to be a hub for innovators from all over the world, and an attractive technology market.
“It reflects the interest of businesses and inventors in opting for high-quality patent protection for the European market,” he added.
