28th Jan 2009, The Hindu
India third largest patent applicant among developing nations
New Delhi (PTI): India has emerged as the third largest patent applicant among developing countries across the world in 2008, but the country significantly lags behind its neighbouring economy China, which has filed nearly eight times more applications, a report says.
The latest World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) report shows that India filed about 766 patent applications in 2008, whereas China has submitted 6,089 patents in the period under review.
The rise in patent applications in two of the fastest growing economies of the world assumed significance amid the global economic slowdown, that has impacted the international patent filings considerably.
According to WIPO, the rate of international patent filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) in 2008 "was modest". The International patent filing grew by a mere 2.4 per cent in 2008, while on an average it registered 9.3 per cent growth rate in the previous three years.
Overall, the list was topped by the United States with as many as 53,521 applications, followed by Japan with 28,744 patents, Germany (18,428), Republic of Korea (7,908) and France (6,867).
Meanwhile among developing economies, the largest number of applications came from the Republic of Korea with 7,908 followed by China and India.
Stressing on the importance of developing nations, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry said, "in the coming years it will be a priority for WIPO to work closely with its member states to ensure that all countries are in a position to actively participate in the benefits of innovation and the knowledge economy and maximize their participation in the PCT."