Patents
European patent application filings at all time high
April 26, 2013
A European Patent Office press release has indicated that European patent application filings reached an all time high of 258,000 in 2012, representing a 5.7% increase over 2011. Granted patents were up by 5.8%, at 65,700.
The European Patent Office also published a table showing the top 50 countries of origin for European patent application filings. It's unsurprising that the number of filings from China was up by 11.3%, considering the rate at which China's economy has been growing. It's perhaps more interesting to see that the number of filings was up significantly from some countries that are registering little or no economic growth at present. European patent filings from Japan, for example, were up by 8.5%. Germany, South Korea, Switzerland, the UK and Finland all saw solid growth in filings. So which country in the top 50 registered the largest year-on-year percentage growth in 2012? China? Nope. Korea? Nope. Japan at 8.5%? Er, still no. This is getting tricky, right? The answer is Ecuador, at 59.7%, with 54 filings in 2012...
If you have any questions concerning International patent applications or wish to consider how they might help your business, please contact your usual patent contact at Swindell & Pearson, or contact Scott Harrison [email protected]
Swindell & Pearson has been helping businesses and individuals protect and defend their ideas, innovations and brands for over 130 years. With its head office in Derby, the firm also has offices in Stoke, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Sheffield and Burton. To find out how Swindell & Pearson can help you with any intellectual property requirements please get in touch via [email protected] or by telephone on 01332 367 051.
