PCT Filings in 2008
The number of international applications filed under the PCT in 2008 reached nearly 164,000, representing an increase of 2.4% over 2007. Although this growth rate is more modest than in recent years (the previous three years had seen an average growth rate of 9.3%), it was somewhat expected, given the global economic slowdown of recent months, and this figure nevertheless represents the highest number of applications ever received under the PCT. This and the following figures for 2008 are estimates as the International Bureau continues to receive, throughout the first half of 2009, PCT applications which were filed with national and regional Offices in 2008, and final figures will be available later in the year.
The top five countries of filing remained the same as last year, with applicants from the United States of America filing the largest number of applications (53,521, which represents 32.7% of all applications), followed by Japan (17.5%), Germany (11.3%), the Republic of Korea (4.8%) and France (4.2%). Applicants from the member States of the European Patent Convention, when grouped together, filed about 34.4% of all international applications.
There was continued high growth in filings from north east Asia, in particular from the
For the first time, a Chinese company topped the list of PCT applicants in 2008 – Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, a major international telecommunications company based in Shenzhen, filed 1,737 PCT applications in 2008, and the Japanese company Panasonic Corporation[1] followed closely behind with 1,729 applications. The top 10 applicants, together with the number of international applications published in their name, were as follows:
1. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd (CN) 1,737
2. Panasonic Corporation (JP) 1,729
3. Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (NL) 1,551
4. Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (JP) 1,364
5. Robert Bosch GmbH (DE) 1,273
6. Siemens Aktiengesellschaft (DE) 1,089
7. Nokia Corporation (FI) 1,005
8. LG Electronics Inc. (KR) 992
9. Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (SE) 984
10. Fujitsu Limited (JP) 983
A list of the top PCT applicants (with the most applications published in 2008) will be available shortly on the WIPO website at:
http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/pct/
Applicants are increasingly submitting their international applications electronically – filings in electronic form made up about 73.3% of all filings in 2008 (compared to 67.4% in 2007), 63.1% being filed fully electronically and 10.2% being filed using the PCT-EASY functionality of the PCT-SAFE software, whereas only 26.6% of applications filed in 2008 were filed entirely on paper (compared to 32.6% in 2007).
The fields of technology in which the highest proportions of PCT applications were published in 2008 related to medical technology (12.0%), computer technology (8.5%) and pharmaceuticals (7.9%). The fastest growing technology areas were information technology methods for management (22.7% increase) and micro-structures and nanotechnology (20.7%).
The figures for 2008 have also revealed an improvement in the timeliness of certain receiving Offices, International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authorities, in particular the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which has made extra efforts to improve its delivery of services under the PCT. There was a significant improvement in the timeliness of the transmittal of copies of PCT applications by the USPTO as receiving Office to the IB, with nearly 60% of records copies of international applications being sent to the IB within four weeks from receipt of the application at the receiving Office. There was also a marked improvement in the timeliness of the transmittal of international search reports (ISRs) to the IB with 43% of ISRs being sent to the IB within 18 months from the priority date. For further statistics on the timeliness of Offices operating under the PCT, see the latest Quarterly Statistics Report: “Performance Indicators” at:
http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/pct
For further information and statistics on PCT filings in 2008, see Press Release PR/2009/583 on the WIPO website at:
http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2009/article_0002.html
[1] Matsushita (the top applicant in 2007) changed its name to Panasonic in 2008.
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