China Tops Patent, Trademark, Design Filings in 2016 — surpasses total of US, Japan, Korea and EPO filings
WIPO releases data for 2016 worldwide filings in the intellectual property area. Worldwide filings for patents, trademarks and industrial designs reached record heights in 2016 amid soaring demand in China, which received more patent applications than the combined total for the United States of America, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the European Patent Office.
“The latest figures charting a rise in demand for intellectual property rights confirm a decade-long trend, where developments in China increasingly leave their mark on the worldwide totals,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. “China is increasingly amongst the leaders in global innovation and branding.”
In figures
| 2015 | 2016 | Growth (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patent applications | 2,887,300 | 3,127,900 | 8.3% |
| Trademark applications | 6,013,200 | 6,997,600 | 16.4% |
| Industrial design applications | 872,600 | 963,100 | 10.4% |
For the first time, WIPO has collected data on geographical indications (GIs) – signs used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin, such as Gruyère for cheese or Tequila for spirits. The data cover 54 national and regional authorities, which reported around 42,500 protected GIs.
In addition, WIPO has collected new data from IP offices on certain dimensions of their operational performance, including the size of their examiner workforce, application pendency times and patent examination outcomes. Among other things, these data show that the examination capacity of most IP offices has grown in line with the number of patent applications they have received.