 | |
| |
TechnologyDaily Mobile
U.S. Wins The 2006 Patent Race
by Winter Casey
The United States is the world's most innovative country if the conclusion is based on the number of patent applications in 2006.
With just fewer than 50,000 patent applications, inventors and industry from the United States represented 34.1 percent of all applications last year. The figure marked a 6.1 percent increase from 2005, according to World Intellectual Property Organization statistics released last week.
The numbers can be found under WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty, a 136-nation global accord dating to 1978 that lets inventors and industry obtain patent protection in multiple countries.
The number of international patent organizations grew by 6.4 percent in a year, according to the data. The highest growth rates came from countries in northeast Asia, which represented more than a quarter of all international applications under the treaty. Aside from the United States, the greatest number of applications came from Japan, Germany, South Korea and France.
"Innovation has been traditionally dominated by Europe and North America," Francis Gurry, who oversees the work of the WIPO treaty, said in a statement. New centers of innovation -- in particular in northeast Asia -- are emerging, and this is transforming both the geography of the patent system and of future global economic growth."
South Korea, which experienced 26.6 percent growth in 2006, now ranks fourth for patent filings under the treaty. Applications from China grew by 56.8 percent, making it the eighth-largest country of patent origin. Italy and Israel experienced double-digit growth in 2006, WIPO found.
Top U.S. patent applicants included Intel, 3M, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard. Other top filers from around the world included Fujitsu, Nokia, Philips Electronics and Siemens.
International patent applications from developing countries like China, India and Singapore increased by 27.6 percent and represented 8.2 percent of all applications filed.
The greatest numbers of applications under the treaty were in the fields of telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and information technology. WIPO said 44 percent of the applications were filed entirely on paper.
U.S., Australia Target Global Patent Backlog
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and IP Australia late last month said they will extend an intellectual property project initially launched in 2005.
Under the pact, IP Australia will provide search and examination services on international applications filed with the U.S. patent agency under the WIPO treaty. The U.S. office said the quality and accuracy of the work done by IP Australia during phase one of the agreement warranted extending the project and increasing the applications IP Australia can process.
Under the new phase, which will begin March 1 and last 12 months, IP Australia will process up to 1,200 applications under the WIPO treaty covering a range of technologies.
The U.S. PTO is looking for ways to improve patent-examination quality and reduce the growing backlog of U.S. applications awaiting examination. Each year, PTO receives about 50,000 international applications, in addition to nearly 450,000 national applications.
The United Kingdom's Patent Office, meanwhile, said there is no need to change that country's basic law concerning the inventive-step level of acquiring a patent.
"We wanted to go on the front foot in response to the international debate about whether the inventive-step hurdle for getting a patent was too low and leading to so-called trivial patents," Patents Director Sean Dennehey said in a statement.
"Our application of the law is appropriate," he said. "However, we recognize that in the face of changing technology, we need to keep our practice under review to ensure we keep pace with the technological environment in which inventions are made."
Also in the United Kingdom, the Patent Office and four regional development agencies are planning a three-day intellectual property audit to help small companies learn the importance of recognizing and protecting their work. Other initiatives at the office include offering Internet-based guidance to firms operating in foreign markets and researching patent trends.
India, U.S. Eye Small-Business Growth
The U.S. Small Business Administration and India's Ministry of Small Scale Industry this month agreed to cooperate in enhancing opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The countries plan to work toward facilitating commercial partnerships between small businesses, and exchange technical expertise and experience on development strategies. As part of the agreement, both groups will share information for small businesses on research and development, technology and innovation, and export assistance.
"Small businesses are the backbone and driving force of our economies," said Manuel Rosales, SBA's associate administrator for trade. "Working together, we will encourage and facilitate business relationships that will help them to become even stronger, thus furthering economic development and job creation in both our nations."
According to U.S. government statistics, U.S.-India trade reached a record high of $26 billion in 2005, with about $8 billion in U.S. exports.
Europeans Uneasy About Spending Money Online
European consumers are not yet comfortable in the digital and online world, according to new research from the European Commission. As a result, the commission is looking to improve consumer confidence online.
Part of the concern stems from online, cross-border shopping difficulties, including non-delivery of goods, late delivery, returns and the trouble in getting refunds. "There are also a whole new set of challenges in the online world which are not being dealt with effectively, so consumers are not getting a fair deal and businesses are facing a maze of complex rules," according to a statement from the commission.
As a result, the commission has released a paper on the issues and is seeking public feedback. The paper suggests that current rules need to be simplified and clarified.
In other world news, the first meeting of the U.S.-Pakistan Science and Technology Joint Committee will occur this week at the National Science Foundation. The committee was a result of President Bush meeting with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in spring 2006.
NEW FEATURE
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
