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Telecoms Firms Lead WIPO International Patent Filings

19-Mar-2015 | Source : WIPO | Visits : 6642
GENEVA  - Three telecoms giants from China and the United States led international patent filing activity via the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2014, a fifth consecutive record-breaking year amid overall growth in the Organization’s global intellectual property services.

According to WIPO, China and the US accounted for 87% of the total growth in filings under WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), which saw some 215,000 applications in 2014, a 4.5% increase over the previous year. In a significant development, the US became the biggest filer of international trademark applications under WIPO’s Madrid System.

“The rapid growth in international patent applications underscores the increasing importance of intellectual property as it moves from the periphery to the center of the global economic system,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry on the release of WIPO’s annual review of its IP-filing and dispute resolution activities. “We are pleased that our filing services provide effective and efficient support for managing this trend.”

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. of China, with 3,442 published PCT applications, overtook Panasonic Corp. of Japan as the largest applicant in 2014. U.S.-based Qualcomm Inc. was the second largest applicant in 2014, with 2,409 published applications, while China’s ZTE Corp. took third place with 2,179 PCT applications. 
The US was the primary country of origin for PCT filers in 2014, with 61,492 applications and 7.1% growth. Japan followed with 42,459 applications, representing a 3% decline on 2013. Applicants from China filed 25,539 applications – an 18.7% annual increase.

Europe showed signs of improvement as it strives to address a challenging economic environment. For the first time since 2007, the top three E.U. countries recorded growth in PCT filings, with strong growth coming from France and the United Kingdom. 
 
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