Recently, the World Intellectual Property Organisation released a report “World Intellectual Property Indicators, 2023”, which reveals strong growth in intellectual property (IP) filings in 2022. Below are a few numbers from the report.
Table of Content

Snapshot of Patent
In 2022, a historic 3.46 million patent applications were filed globally, marking a third consecutive year of growth. China played a pivotal role, contributing significantly with 46.8% of global applications, while India's intellectual property office showed robust growth with 15,495 additional filings. The USPTO ranked second globally with 594,340 applications. The top five offices, including Japan, Korea, and the EPO, constituted 84.9% of the total filings, with China's share rising from 27.7% in 2012 to 46.8% in 2022. Resident filings in China surged, impacting the global share of non-resident filings, which decreased from 39.8% in 2008 to 30.3% in 2022.

Asia, particularly China, continued its dominance in patent filings, receiving 67.9% of global applications. India witnessed a remarkable 25.2% increase in filings, contributing to the overall growth. Notable variations were observed among the top 20 offices, with South Africa, India, and Indonesia experiencing substantial growth, while Italy and some others faced declines. Despite variations, global patent applications have consistently trended upward, reaching 3.5 million in 2022. The global landscape has shifted over the decades, with China now leading in patent filings, reflecting a trend since 2011.
The trend in patent applications for the top five offices, 1883–2022
(Bhupesh Upadhyay for The IP Wave) Source: WIPO Statistics Database, 2023.
In 2022, China dominated global patent applications with around 1.59 million filings, followed by the US (515,281), Japan (406,374), the Republic of Korea (272,675), and Germany (157,652). China had the lowest share of applications filed abroad at 7.7%, contrasting with Germany (60.7%), Japan (46.2%), and the US (51%). Notably, Canada, Israel, and Switzerland had the highest proportions of applications filed abroad among the top 20 origins. In non-resident filings, the US led in 14 of 20 offices, while Japan led in China, Germany, Indonesia, and the US.

The Republic of Korea stood out, filing the most patents per GDP and population, with 7,828 resident patent applications per USD 100 billion GDP. China showed substantial improvement in its resident patent-to-GDP ratio. The top 10 origins by resident applications adjusted for GDP included China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Russian Federation.

Patent family data indicated a rebound in 2020 with 8.4% growth, reaching 2.14 million worldwide. China accounted for over two-thirds of patent families, while the US and Japan created the most foreign-oriented patent families. Computer technology dominated published patent applications globally in 2021, comprising 11.1% of the total, followed by electrical machinery, measurement, medical technology, and digital communication.

In the dynamic landscape of global patent trends, the period from 2011 to 2021 showcased remarkable growth in various technological fields. Chemical engineering, computer technology, and IT methods for management stood out with double-digit growth rates, while audio-visual, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors experienced slower growth. Examining the top patent-filing countries from 2019 to 2021, China, the Republic of Korea, the UK, and the US were prominent in computer technology, while Japan focused on electrical machinery, and France and Germany on transport.

The energy technology sector witnessed significant growth, with the number of published patent applications related to solar, fuel cell, wind, geothermal, and hydro energy increasing from around 29,800 in 2006 to approximately 46,300 in 2021. China dominated in four out of five fields, with Japan leading in fuel cell technology.

In 2022, China's patent office granted 14.7% more patents than in 2021, marking its third consecutive year of double-digit growth. However, among the top 10 offices, seven granted fewer patents, with Brazil, Canada, and the European Patent Office (EPO) experiencing notable declines.

Asia's share of worldwide patent grants surged to 67.3% in 2022, driven by China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. North America accounted for 18.7%, and Europe contributed 9.8%. China held the highest number of patents in force globally in 2022, with a growth rate of 17.1%.
A notable aspect is the gender disparity in inventors listed in published PCT applications, with women representing only 17.1% of inventors in 2022. While women's representation has increased over the past decade, there remains a considerable gap.

India emerged as a significant player among large middle-income countries, with notable patent activity in computer technology. Additionally, it was observed that India reported substantial growth in patent applications related to energy technologies.

In the realm of utility models, China stood out, receiving 98% of the global total in 2022, with 99.5% of applications being resident. Other countries, including Indonesia and Türkiye, also experienced double-digit growth in utility model filings.
Overall, this snapshot highlights the evolving global patent landscape, with China's prominence, Asia's growing influence, and the continued challenges in gender diversity in innovation. India's presence is notable in specific technology domains, reflecting its increasing role in the global innovation ecosystem.
Snapshot of Trademark
In 2022, global trademark applications faced a substantial setback, plummeting by 15.7% compared to the previous year, marking the end of a 12-year growth streak. An estimated 11.8 million trademark applications were filed worldwide, representing a decline of 2.2 million from 2021. This downturn, the most significant in four decades, is not easily attributed to a single factor but may be influenced by economic slowdowns, changes in filing regulations, or a return to normal levels after the surge in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Bhupesh Upadhyay for The IP Wave) Source: WIPO Statistics Database, 2023.China's remarkable growth in trademark applications over the years has seen it surpass the United States, with a class count of just over 7.5 million. India, Türkiye, and the European Union Intellectual Office (EUIPO) also featured among the top five filers, together contributing to almost 63% of global trademark filing.
The trend in trademark applications for the top five offices, 1883–2022
(Bhupesh Upadhyay for The IP Wave) Source: WIPO Statistics Database, 2023.
Among the top 20 offices, 14 experienced a decline in trademark filing in 2022, with notable reductions in China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and others. However, Türkiye, Indonesia, and India bucked the trend, recording increases in filing. Notably, Brazil saw growth in both resident and non-resident filing.

Asia dominated the global trademark filing landscape in 2022, constituting 67.8% of the total, while Europe accounted for 16.2%. Among the top 20 offices, Asia housed eight, Europe seven, Latin America and the Caribbean two, and North America two.

India stood out for its resilience, recording a 2.4% increase in trademark filing in 2022. The Indian office advanced two positions in the global ranking, securing the third position, contributing to Asia's dominance in the global filing landscape. This growth reflects India's ongoing commitment to intellectual property protection and its expanding role in the global trademark landscape.

Despite the overall decline, the long-term trend in trademark filing remains positive, with 2022 levels still significantly higher than those in 2008. The dynamic landscape highlights the diverse influences shaping trademark filing trends globally, underscoring the interplay of economic, regulatory, and pandemic-related factors.

In 2022, the global trademark landscape reflected a distinctive pattern of filing behavior among countries, with China standing out for its overwhelming focus on domestic protection. A staggering 95.1% of trademark applications from Chinese applicants were intended solely for protection within the country, maintaining a trend observed over the past 25 years, where at least 93% of filings remained within China. This contrasts sharply with middle-income countries like Brazil, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, and Vietnam, where around 90% of filings were directed domestically.

Switzerland emerged as an outlier among high-income countries, with 75.8% of its trademark filing occurring outside the country. Other leading origins for foreign filings included the UK (50.7%), the US (47.7%), Canada (45.6%), and Germany (39.6%). The United States was a major player in international filings, contributing 24.4% of non-resident filings in China, followed by Japan (11.7%) and the UK (8.5%). Conversely, China dominated non-resident filings in the US, accounting for 43% of foreign filings.

Examining trademark filings adjusted for GDP and population revealed interesting insights. China, the Republic of Korea, Brazil, France, and Russia exhibited high ratios of resident application class counts to GDP. In terms of class count per million population, Turkey, with its population of 85.3 million, had an intensive resident application count of 5,234 per million population, surpassing even China's ratio.

Regarding specific industries, research and technology attracted the highest volumes of trademark filings globally (22%), followed by health (13%), clothing and accessories (11.9%), and leisure and education (10.9%). Notably, the research and technology sector dominated filings at major offices, including the EUIPO, Japan, the UK, and the US.
Trademark registrations worldwide saw a significant decline of 15.5% in 2022, totaling 9.3 million, compared to the previous year's notable 29% growth. China accounted for half of all registrations, with 6.2 million classes specified. Despite this decrease, active trademark registrations globally increased by 9.4% to reach 82.5 million. China maintained its dominance in this aspect as well, with almost 42.7 million registrations in force, showcasing its continued importance in the global intellectual property landscape.

India played a notable role in the international filing landscape, with applicants from the US (22.3%), China, and Germany collectively contributing 39.5% of all non-resident filings in the country. Furthermore, India featured prominently in the industry sectors, with the health sector constituting the largest proportion of filings (23%) and business services topping the list (26.3%) among selected countries.

In conclusion, the global trademark landscape in 2022 displayed diverse filing patterns, with China's dominance, the strategic behaviour of high-income countries, and the emergence of specific sectors and industries marking key trends. India remained a significant player in the international filing arena, reflecting its growing importance in the global economy.
Next week's IP Wave Newsletter will be in continuation of this piece. Part two will contain the snapshots of Geographical Indication, Industrial Designs, Plant Varieties and Creative Economy.
Visualisation by Shivani and Bhupesh