2014 was a busy year for the UK's engineers and scientists
as new statistics released by the UK Intellectual
Property Office (UK IPO) show that patent applications from
UK-based inventors have increased. Regionally, leading the way were
London and the South East of England, whose inventors accounted for
over a third of all patent filings nationally. The number of patent
applications filed by foreign inventors remains high, with at least
7,850 patents filed in the UK naming a foreign applicant. This
figure is slightly down compared to 2013, having dropped by a
little less than two per cent, although this still represents
strong interest in the UK by foreign applicants overall.
The figures reveal that the UK's largest recipient of granted
patents in 2014 was global technology giant IBM, to which the UK
IPO granted over 300 patents. Dyson, often seen as the darling of
UK innovation, were the UK's largest domestic recipient of
granted patents last year, adding around 120 to its portfolio.
Overall, the UK remains a popular destination among international
applicants, with only nine of the top 50 patent recipients having
their headquarters in the UK.
The UK remains a popular choice for first-filing of patent
applications. Over 75 per cent of all patent applications in 2014
were filed with no priority claim to an existing application in
another country. It is often stated that first-filing in the UK is
an attractive option due to the prompt prior art search conducted
by the UK IPO, and the relatively low cost of filing compared to
the European Patent Office.
Perhaps disappointingly, patent applications requesting
accelerated search and examination under the Green Channel make up
less than one per cent of total patent filings. The Green Channel
allows acceleration of patent applications provided that they are
directed towards technology which promotes some kind of
environmental benefit. This slow uptake may be due to the fact that
applicants are simply unaware that the Green Channel option is open
to them, or perhaps that there is little appetite for accelerated
prosecution generally, including acceleration through non-Green
routes.
The figures show that inventors and their employers continue to
place high importance on the protection of their intellectual
assets in the UK, driven by the UK's position as a leading
marketplace in the global economy. Furthermore, the figures
demonstrate that the UK remains a strong performer in the
technology sector. Research and development output from UK-based
inventors shows no sign of slowing down, and therefore we can
expect a strong performance from the UK's innovators next
year.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.