China leads the world in international patent applications

Mr.Believer posted on 19/03/2024

China is the country with the highest number of international patent applications, followed by the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Germany, respectively.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has released statistics on international patent applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for the year 2023. The data reveals that global patent applications totaled 272,600, a decrease of 1.8% compared to 2022.

1. By Country

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China leads the world in the number of applications with 69,610, a decrease of 0.6% from 2022.

The United States ranks second with 55,678 applications, down 5.3% from the previous year.

Following are Japan, South Korea, and Germany. South Korea is the only country in the top 5 to see an increase in international patent applications last year, rising by 1.2% to 22,288 applications.

India experienced the largest increase, with international patent applications rising by 44.6% to 3,791.

2. By Company

In terms of companies, the Chinese technology conglomerate Huawei submitted the highest number of patent applications globally, with 6,494 applications. Samsung from South Korea ranks second, followed by Qualcomm from the United States, Mitsubishi Electric from Japan, and BOE Technology from China.

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Among the top 10 companies submitting the most international patent applications, Chinese technology and battery manufacturing company CATL made the most significant leap, jumping from 84th place to 8th with 1,533 applications.

Computer technology dominates the disclosed PCT international patent applications, accounting for the largest proportion at 10.2%. This is followed by digital communication, electrical machinery, medical technology, and pharmaceuticals. The number of applications in these five sectors accounts for about 2/5 of the total PCT applications disclosed in 2023.

Mr. Daren Tang, Director General of WIPO, stated: "In an increasingly globalized and digitalized economy, the use of intellectual property rights is steadily growing and expanding globally, in parallel with the economic development of countries worldwide. Asian countries now account for 55.7% of the total international PCT patent applications submitted through WIPO, compared to only 40.5% a decade ago."

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