Patent filing trend – 2021
Strong growth in local patent filings in China (+5.5%), the Republic of Korea (+2.5%) and India (+5.5%) drove the global growth in patent applications in 2021, propelling the share of Asian filings to cross the two-thirds threshold. Local patenting activity in the U.S. (-1.2%), Japan (-1.7%) and Germany (-3.9%) declined in 2021.
The number of domestic filings by Indian applicants has, for the first time in 11 years, surpassed those filed by non-Indians. Also, the number of patents granted in 2021-22 stands at 30,074, compared with 5,978 in 2014-15.
Patent fillings by region, 2011 and 2021
Offices located in Asia received around 2.3 million applications in 2021, representing 67.6% of the world total. Asia’s share of all applications filed worldwide increased from 54.6% in 2011 to 67.6% a decade later in 2021.
While China saw 1,585,663 filings, 88,504 more patent applications than it did in 2020, India’s patent office received 4,802 more patent applications in 2021 than the previous year. The Republic of Korea (11,239 additional applications) and the European Patent Office (EPO) (8,432), and South Africa (4,272) also made notable contributions to overall growth.
Patent Filing trend – India
India received 61,573 patent applications in 2021, up from 56,771 in 2020. Almost 43% of the Indian patent applications were local, and filed by resident applicants.
Filing of patents have increased from 42763 in 2014-15 to 66440 in 2021-22, more that 50% increase in a span of 7 years.
India received 61,573 patent applications in 2021, up from 56,771 in 2020. Almost 43% of the Indian patent applications were local, and filed by resident applicants.
Filing of patents have increased from 42763 in 2014-15 to 66440 in 2021-22, more that 50% increase in a span of 7 years.
One-tenth of patent applications published worldwide in 2020 were in the field of computer technology
In 2020 – the latest year for which complete data are available due to the delay between application and publication – computer technology was the most frequently featured technology in published patent applications worldwide, accounting for one-tenth of all published applications (10.2% of world total). It was followed by electrical machinery (6.5%), measurement (5.7%), digital communication (5.1%) and medical technology (5%). These five fields have occupied the top five spots in the ranking since 2012
Among large middle-income countries during the same period, applicants residing in India (18.5% of total published applications) and Mexico (11.4%) filed most heavily in pharmaceuticals.
The share of fillings related to pharmaceuticals increased from 4.1% in 2019 to 4.6% in 2020, while that of surgical, medical and dental goods increased from 1.5% to 2.3%, the data said. For instance, India’s 15.4% growth in Trademark activity is driven by resident fillings in pharmaceuticals.
