Patenting Trends Calendar Year 1994 In calendar year 1994, the total number of patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office increased by 3.5 percent to a record 113,706, including utility, design, plant, and reissue patents and statutory invention registrations. U.S. resident inventors showed vigorous patenting activity for the year. For the sixth consecutive year, the share of all patents which were granted to U.S. resident inventors increased. In 1994, 56.6 percent of all patents (64,349 patents) were issued to U.S. resident inventors, up considerably from the 55.7 percent share obtained by U.S. resident inventors in 1993. The share of patents granted to foreign resident inventors fell to 43.4 percent in 1994. The share of all U.S. patents which were issued to inventors residing in Japan was 20.7 percent in 1994 (23,517 patents), down from the 21.3 percent share in 1993. The share of all U.S. patents which were issued to inventors residing in Germany was also down, to 6.1 percent (6,989 patents) in 1994 from 6.5 percent in 1993. The number of all patents granted to U.S. independent inventors increased by 2.7 percent from 1993 to 1994. The share of patents which were granted to U.S.independent inventors, however, decreased from 14.7 percent of all patents in 1993 to 14.5 percent in 1994. If only patents for inventions (i.e., utility patents) are considered, U.S. independent inventor performance appears considerably stronger with the number of patents granted to U.S. independent inventors increasing by 4.3 percent from 1993 to 1994 and the share of patents for invention which were obtained by U.S. independent inventors increasing from 12.5 percent in 1993 to 12.6 percent in 1994. The ten foreign countries which received the most patents during CALENDAR YEAR 1994 are shown below. In general, only slight changes in ranking will occur from one year to the next. The emergence of both China (Taiwan) and South Korea on this list highlights the growing importance of the Pacific rim region in the patenting arena. Rank (Rank in 1984) Country # Patents % of all in 1994 1994 Patents 1 (1) Japan 23,517 20.7 % 2 (2) Germany 6,989 6.1 % 3 (4) France 2,985 2.6 % 4 (3) United Kingdom 2,469 2.2 % 5 (5) Canada 2,380 2.1 % 6 (17) Taiwan, Province of China 1,814 1.6 % 7 (7) Italy 1,360 1.2 % 8 (6) Switzerland 1,244 1.1 % 9 (26) South Korea 1,008 0.9 % 10 (9) Netherlands 999 0.9 % __________________________________________________________________________ SOURCE: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Technology Assessment and Forecast data base (1-27-95) ------------------ Questions regarding this report should be directed to: (address updated 4/96) U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Office of Electronic Information Products Technology Assessment and Forecast Program PK3-Suite 441 Washington, DC 20231 tel (703) 306-2600 FAX (703) 306-2737