World IP Today: analyzing global innovation
Thomson Scientific
May 2007
Thomson Scientific marked World Intellectual Property Day 2007 by publishing two reports on the global intellectual property (IP) landscape. Using Derwent World Patents Index® data, the reports analyze which countries are forging change in the areas of patents and technology innovation, and highlight major increases in patenting activity over the past decade.
World IP Today: A Thomson Scientific Report On Global Patent Activity from 1997 to 2006
This report highlights patent output from the G8 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) plus China and South Korea. Thomson Scientific analysis shows Japan losing market share in terms of hard numbers of inventions. Compared to the other tri-lateral patent issuing authorities of Europe and the U.S. however, Japan still holds the majority of the inventions.
China is showing the most aggressive growth as it aims to establish itself as an innovation powerhouse, though the U.S. has also shown an impressive growth rate of 145 per cent over ten years. South Korea is maturing nicely as an innovative nation, as well as protecting its inventions across the globe. The number of unique inventions with academic assignees has grown at nearly four times the rate of all unique inventions. China has the greatest market share when it comes to patent output from academia, with Russia , the U.S. and Japan not far behind.
Findings in detail indicate:
- Global patent activity has grown by 72 per cent over the past decade with a 34 per cent increase in "unique inventions" or brand new inventions
- Since 1997, the U.S. and China have shown the most impressive growth with 145 per cent and 470 per cent increases respectively, encroaching on Japan's still-leading position
- China dominates unique inventions by academia, with an eight-fold increase since 1997
- South Korea matures as an innovative nation and safeguards more inventions worldwide than ever before
- Despite China's surge in patent activity, there is little focus on protecting Chinese intellectual property outside of China
World IP Today Patent Report (PDF)
World IP Today: A Thomson Scientific Report On Global Technology Innovations from 1997 to 2006
This review looks at the massive increase in technology innovations developed globally over the past ten years (1997-2006), highlighting inventions that have been filed in the trilateral patent issuing authorities of U.S., Europe and Japan.
Thomson Scientific analysis shows how the technology landscape has shaped global patent activity over the past decade. Japan leads the pack in today's innovative high-tech market by holding the majority share of tri-lateral inventions across all technologies in 2006. There are also signs that the landscape will continue to change in the future. Chinese companies will undoubtedly face strong competition from companies such as Samsung and LG as they try to tighten their grip on high growth multi-technology areas, so China would do well to follow South Korea 's lead and make the break into the global patent market.
Among the key findings in detail:
- Inventions relating to semiconductors, telecommunications and computing experience huge growth rates of 75 per cent, 86 per cent and 172 per cent respectively since 1997
- Japan can be credited with the current state of today's high-tech market, holding the majority share of tri-lateral inventions across all technologies in 2006
- Samsung is the top patent assignee in tri-lateral inventions for 2006
- Samsung and Denso lead the way in diversified multinationals in terms of tri-lateral inventions in 2006