More than 2 million patent applications were filed at the world’s five largest IP offices in 2013, an increase of 11% over 2012, according to a new report published jointly by the EPO, the Japan Patent Office, the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office, collectively known as the IP5 offices.
The 2013 edition of the IP5 Statistics Report also finds that together the IP5 offices granted 956 644 patents in 2013 (+4%). At the end of 2012, 8.5 million patents were in force in the world (+8.3%). Ninety per cent of these patents were valid in one of the IP5 offices jurisdictions.
The annual statistics report covers the activities of the IP5 offices, figures for patent filings and grants, as well as various aspects of their operations and international developments.
The IP5 offices have worked together closely since 2007 to improve the efficiency of the examination process for patents worldwide.
Further information: EPO
