UK PATENT OFFICE REPORT ON FILINGS: Electronics firms have dominated the UK Patent Office's list of top patent applicants.

Four of the top five firms applying for patents were electronics firms in 2003, with NEC holding the highest number of applications. Ericsson came 7th and Motorola 8th.
Marconi came 29th with 42 patents granted. Overall patents granted in the UK increased by 12 per cent from 2002 to 2003.

The most number of patents awarded by sector was won by the electronic circuit and telecoms sector, with 1,353 granted in 2003.

The nanotechnology sector notably saw the number of patents applied for slump from 532 in 2002 to just seven last year and only one nanotechnology patent was actually granted, compared to 352 granted in 2002.