Patent Landscape Reports
Patent landscape reports research and describe the patent situation for a specific technology in a given country, region or on the global level. Patent landscape reports therefore usually start with a state-of-the-art search for the technology of interest in suitable patent databases. In a second step, the results of the search are analyzed to answer specific questions, e.g. to identify certain patterns of patenting activity (Who is doing what? What is filed where?) or certain patterns of innovation (innovation trends, diversity of solutions for a technical problem, collaborations). An essential component of each patent landscape report is the visualization of these results in order to facilitate their understanding and certain conclusions or recommendations based on the empirical evidence provided by the search and analysis.
Patent landscapes can therefore be useful for policy discussions, strategic research planning or technology transfer. However, they provide only a snapshot of the patenting situation at a certain point in time. In a wider sense, some patent landscapes reports may analyze the validity of patents by referring to legal status data, and thereby form a basis, e.g., for freedom to operate analysis.
In what context is WIPO involved?
WIPO’s activities on patent landscape reports are based on the Development Agenda project DA_19_30_31_01 (“Developing Tools for Access to Patent Information” described in document CDIP/4/6, adopted by the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) at its fourth session held from November 16 to November 20, 2009.
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