China contributes 58% in global IP filings: WIPO

The share of China in the worldwide intellectual property (IP) filings has increased from 54 percent in 2009 to 58 percent in 2010, which is more than five times higher than the share of second largest office OHIM (office of harmonization for the internal market registers the community trade mark in European Union).

The report showcased that China and the US accounted for four-fifths of the 7.2 percent worldwide growth in patent filings, with the US patents growing 7.5 percent in 2010.

The patent office of China (391,177 filings) overtook the office of Japan (344,598 filings) to become the second largest recipient of patent applications in 2010.

A report published by WIPO shows that intellectual property (IP) filings worldwide rebounded strongly in 2010 after a considerable decline in 2009.

The recovery in IP filings was stronger than the overall economic recovery. Patent and trademark filings grew by 7.2 percent and 11.8 percent respectively in 2010 compared to growth of 5.1 percent in the global gross domestic product (GDP), with China and the United States (US) accounting for the greatest share of the increased filings.

In Europe, IP filing growth by France, Germany and the UK far exceeded the GDP growth rate of the three largest European economies in 2010. The 7.2 percent growth in patent applications in 2010 is the highest growth rate in five years, followed a 3.6 percent decline in 2009.

Similarly, trademark filings rose by 11.8 percent in 2010 to reach 3.66 million, which fell by 2.6 percent in 2009.

''If economic conditions were to deteriorate sharply in the short term, as happened in 2009 companies might be forced to curtail or abandon their investments in innovation, stifling an essential source of growth,'' said Francis Gurry, director general, WIPO.

Computer technology, electrical machinery, audio-visual technology and medical technology accounted for the largest shares of patent filings worldwide.

The estimated total of 3.66 million trademark applications worldwide in 2010 consisted of 2.78 million resident and 0.88 million non-resident applications. The IP office of China accounted for three-fifths of the 11.8 percent growth in applications worldwide.

The number of industrial design applications applications filed across the world grew by 13 percent, mainly due to high growth in China which accounted for 83 percent of total growth. The IP office of China received around 70,000 additional applications in 2010 compared to 2009.