WIPO: Global Economic Slowdown Impacts 2008 International Patent Filings

WIPO issued a press release today on international filings, noting that the growth of PCT filings has dropped from 9.3% in 2007 to 2.4% in 2008.

The most robust growth rates for PCT filings include the Republic of Korea (+12.0%), China (+11.9%) and Sweden (+12.5%).

The largest number of international PCT applications (32.7%) continue to be filed by inventors in the U.S. (53,521 applications), maintaining a ranking that has spanned some thirty years. The rest of the "top 15" shape up this way:

(2) Japan --- 28,774 applications
(3) Germany --- 18,428
(4) Republic of Korea --- 7,908
(5) France --- 6,867
(6) China --- 6,089
(7) United Kingdom --- 5,517
(8) Netherlands --- 4,349
(9) Sweden --- 4,114
(10) Switzerland --- 3,832
(11) Canada --- 2,966
(12) Italy --- 2,939
(13) Finland --- 2,119
(14) Australia --- 2,028
(15) Israel --- 1,882

For the first time, a Chinese company (Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd) topped the list of PCT applicants in 2008, with 1,737 PCT applications filedin 2008. Panasonic (Japan) was second with 1,729 international applications, followed by Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Netherlands, 1,551 PCT applications), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Japan, 1,364 PCT applications) and Robert Bosch GMBH (Germany, 1,273 PCT applications).

According to Mr. Francis Gurry, Director General of WIPO,

"Historically, patent filings tend to dip during periods of economic difficulty simply because fewer resources are available for investment in the innovation cycle. Once the economic cycle improves, patenting activity tends also to recover. That said, economic crises have, in the past, been a catalyst for innovation as greater emphasis is placed on improving standards of efficiency, doing more with less and identifying and developing smarter business solutions . . . In the current economic climate, technology, innovation and creativity are critical in creating opportunities for economic renewal and addressing pressing global issues such as climate change."

Read WIPO press release (PR/2009/583 ) "Global Economic Slowdown Impacts 2008 International Patent Filings" (link)