News Roundup WIPO Report Shows Internationalization of Patent Trends

The WIPO Patent Report 2006, released on October 16, shows that companies are increasingly using the IP system to protect their investments in new markets. The Report presents an overview of worldwide patenting activity based on statistics up to the end of 2004.

The number of patent applications filed worldwide almost doubled between 1985 to 2004, with an average annual rate of increase of 4.75 percent since 1995. This is in line with the average annual growth in world gross domestic product (GDP) of some 5.6 percent.

Five patent offices (United States of America, Japan, European Patent Office, Republic of Korea and China) account for 75 percent of all patent applications and 74 percent of all patents granted.

The Report shows a boom in patent filings in northeast Asia over the past 20 years, reflecting the emergence of countries such as China and the Republic of Korea as major industrial economies. Patent filings by Chinese residents grew more than five-fold between 1995 and 2004, while filings by residents of the Republic of Korea increased three-fold. Other countries recording high rates of increase in patent filings during this period included Brazil, India and Mexico.

The Report highlights the popularity of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) as a tool for companies seeking broad-based patent protection. The number of PCT applications grew at an average annual rate of 16.8 percent between 1990 and 2005 and topped 134,000 international applications in 2005. The PCT is now used in 47 percent of all international patent filings.

The comprehensive report in an easily accessible format shows the distribution of patent activity around the world and contains detailed information on some of the important trends of the patent system. Currently available on the WIPO website, the Report will also be available in print from the end of the year.

Superman Takes on DVD Pirates

Seeking to beat Chinese DVD pirates at their own game, Warner Brothers have released the DVD of Hollywood blockbuster Superman Returns two months earlier in China than in the rest of the world – and just three months after the film was first released in China. The film had pulled in 31.7 million yuan (over US$4 million) at Chinese box offices during its first week and the manufacturers of pirate DVDs were anticipating massive demand.

Calculating that...