 GENEVA: The United States retained its lead as the world's most inventive country in 2006, with a 6.1 percent increase in international patent applications from the previous year, or 34.1 percent of the world total, the World Intellectual Property Organization said in a report Wednesday. But the fastest growth in patent filings came from South Korea and China.
In 2006, a record 145,300 international patent applications were filed under WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty, the 136-nation global accord that allows inventors and industry to obtain patent protection in multiple countries. The United States accounted for 49,555 of those.
| In 2006, a record 145,300 international patent applications were filed under WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty. The United States accounted for 49,555 of those. |
About 10.5 percent of the applications were filed in the field of telecommunications, 10.4 percent in pharmaceuticals and 10.4 percent in information technology. The fastest growing areas were semiconductors, up 28 percent, and information technology and pharmaceuticals, both up 21 percent.
| The local DeeCee business newspaper reported the Patent and Trademark Office is looking to hire at least 1,200 more patent examiners. They have a backlog of at least 80,000 patent applications. |
| For some stange reason the Pakistani patent examiners can take long lunches every day. |
Francis Gurry, WIPO deputy director- general, said one factor leading to more global filings was an increased emphasis on exports by companies in developing economies. He also cited moves by major conglomerates and individuals to protect their technology assets in a fiercely competitive world economy. "Twenty years ago, approximately 80 percent of the market valuation of a company was in tangible assets and 20 percent in intangibles such as patents. Now it is the reverse," Gurry said. |