Calendar Year 1991 Patenting Trends





During 1991, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a record

106,842 patents (including utility, design, plant, and reissue

patents and statutory invention registrations), about 8 percent

more than were issued in 1990. Of these 1991 patents, 57,784

(54.1 percent) were issued to U.S. - resident inventors while

49,058 (45.9 percent) were issued to inventors residing outside

the United States. The U.S.- resident inventor share of patents

increased for the third straight year.



The number of U.S. patents granted to residents of Japan

increased 8 percent in 1991 and the Japan - resident inventor

share of all patents was also up slightly at 21.0 percent for

1991 from a 20.9 percent share in 1990. While U.S. patents

granted to residents of Germany increased slightly in 1991, the

German - resident inventor share of all patents dropped to 7.5

percent from a 7.9 percent share in 1990.



The number of U.S. - resident inventor patents which were

unassigned or assigned to an individual at the time of grant

(primarily "independent inventor" patents) increased for 1991 to

16,220 patents while comprising an unchanged 15.2 percent of

total grants.



More detailed data is available in miscellaneous statistical

reports from the Technology Assessment and Forecast

Program.



______________________

SOURCE:          U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

                 Technology Assessment and Forecast Program    3-3-92         

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