At the end of 2006 there were published the Annual report of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), demonstrating that the patentability system became an integrant part of the global economic activity, and raising of the number of filed patent applications is a proof of the world economic development. In this report it is mentioned that the intellectual property system is used more and more frequently by the different companies for the protection of their investments on the new markets. According to the WIPO data (the most full statistical data of 2004) in the world there were valid 5,4 millions of patents.
Dr Kamil Idris, Director General of WIPO has mentioned that this report shows an integral picture of the world patenting system functioning and demonstrate the important rise of the global utilization of the patenting system stimulating the innovations and contributing to economy energization.
Dr Idris had also accentuated the role of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) providing the simplified system of filing the international patent applications, becaming a basic instrument for the companies interested in the intellectual property protection. The average number of applications filed according the PCT procedure in the period of 1990-2005 constitutes 16,8 % and runs up to 134.000international patent applications In 2005 according to this Treaty there were registered 47 % of filed international applications.
In the period of 1985-2004 the number of the international worldwide filed applications raised from 884.400 up to 1.599.000, and from 1995 the average annual rhythmus of raising constituted 4,75 %. This fact harmonizes with the annual raising rhythmus of the intern brut world product that constitutes 5,6 %. Since 1995 it is observed a constant rising of the number of patent applications filed by the applicants in their states of residence what demonstrates the intensification of the innovative activity on the national level.
The report attests the abrupt raise of the filed applications in the North-East Asia. For example, during several decades, Japan became the greatest patent office in the world, where only during a year (2004) there were filed 400.000 patent applications both by the citizens of the country, and by the foreign persons. For the last 20 years the Chine office became the fourth one in the world according to the number of filed applications, and the Korean office take the third place. This fact testifies to the growth of the dynamics of economic development in the mentioned region, the patenting system being more frequently used during the development. However, this system is still too concentrated, 75 % of the filed applications and 74% of the issued patents being registered in 5 % of the offices. They are, as it was mentioned above, the offices of USA, Japan, EPO, Korea and China.
From the total number of 5,4 millions of the valid patents in the world 81% was granted in USA, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Korea and France. According to the examination of the states of residence of the applicants in head of the list is located Japan, then follow USA, Korea, Germany, France and Russian Federation. For each dollar of the intern gross output Japan and Korea obtain five times as much of patents than the most advanced countries of the Europe and the North America.
The statistic data shows that in many little but industrially developed counties it is registered the rhythm of filing the applications exceeding the average data. Among them: New Zeeland, Finland, Denmark. the countries of the East-Europe, namely, Russian Federation, Ukraine and Byelorussia, also obtained high indexes in the patenting activity in comparison with the intern output and the charges supported for the scientific elaborations.
The full text is accessible on the address: http://www.wipo.int/ipstatistics/patents/