Intellectual Property Law

Number of International Patent Filings are Down

By mengj

The number of international patent applications filed through World Intellectual Property Org’s Patent Cooperation Treaty fell by 4.5 percent in 2009 – an unprecedented decline.

According to WIPO, filings by applicants in the United States fell by 11.4 percent in 2009, although the United States maintained its top ranking with 45,790 applications in total. Filings from applicants in Germany, Canada, Sweden, and Israel also declined by double-digit figures.

In contrast, WIPO continued to register increasing applications from East Asian countries. China led the way with nearly 8,000 PCT applications, a 30 percent jump over 2008. China moved ahead of France and now ranks fifth among PCT applicants, up from 6th position the previous year. A growing trend.

Full post as published by BC Law Intell. Prop. & Tech. Forum on February 16, 2010 (boomark / email).