                              Patenting Trends

                             Calendar Year 1999

    In calendar year 1999, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted

    a record 169,154 patent documents, including 153,493 utility, 14,732

    design, 421 plant, and 448 reissue patents, and 60 statutory invention

    registrations.  Annual grants for all patents increased by 3.6 percent

    over the total for calendar year 1998 (163,208 grants in 1998). Utility

    patent grants (patents for invention) in 1999 represent a 4 percent

    increase over the total for 1998 (147,520).

    In 1999, the share of all patents that were issued to U.S.-resident

    inventors was 55.6 percent, unchanged from the U.S. share for 1998.

    California resident inventors claimed a 20.0 percent share (18,865

    patents) of these U.S.-resident inventor patents, followed by resident

    inventors from New York (7.3 percent, 6,900 patents), Texas (6.8 percent,

    6,424 patents), New Jersey (4.6 percent, 4,372 patents), and Illinois

    (4.6 percent, 4,308 patents). U.S. resident-inventors of the following

    areas had the largest percentage increases in patent receipts from 1998

    to 1999: Puerto Rico, Idaho, South Dakota, Kentucky, Arkansas, Kansas,

    and Wyoming.

    There were 20,543 patents granted to U.S. independent inventors in 1999,

    slightly fewer than the 1998 count of U.S. independent inventor patents

    (20,765). The U.S. independent inventor patent share of all patents

    issued to U.S.-resident inventors in 1999 was 21.8 percent, down from a

    22.9 percent share in 1998.

    Foreign-resident inventors claimed a 44.4 percent share of all U.S.

    patents issued in 1999. The share of U.S. patents that were issued to

    Japan-resident inventors in calendar year 1999 was 19.2 percent, down

    from 19.7 percent in 1998.  The 1999 share of U.S. patents that were

    issued to Germany-resident inventors remained at 5.9 percent.

    In 1999, Taiwan moved ahead of France into third position among foreign

    countries whose residents patented in the United States. South Korea

    moved into sixth place, edging ahead of Canada. Countries with the

    largest percentage increases in annual patent receipts in 1999, as

    compared to 1998, include Ireland, Austria, Mexico, India, Taiwan,

    Denmark, Sweden, People's Republic of China, Singapore, and Brazil.

    The eleven foreign countries that received the most U.S. patents during

    calendar year 1999 are displayed below.  Also included below is a table

    that lists states and countries and their percentage change in patenting

    from 1998 to 1999.

                                                                 (1998 to 1999)

    1999 1999 #  1999 Share of                        (1998 # )  (Change in   )

    Rank Patents  All Patents     Country             (Patents)  (# of Patents)

    ---- ------- -------------    -------------------- --------  --------------

     1    32,515     19.2%           Japan             (32,119)      ( + 1.2% )

     2     9,896      5.9%           Germany            (9,582)      ( + 3.3% )

     3     4,526      2.7%           Taiwan             (3,805)      ( +18.9% )

     4     4,097      2.4%           France             (3,991)      ( + 2.7% )

     5     3,900      2.3%           United Kingdom     (3,726)      ( + 4.7% )

     6     3,679      2.2%           South Korea        (3,362)      ( + 9.4% )

     7     3,678      2.2%           Canada             (3,537)      ( + 4.0% )

     8     1,686      1.0%           Italy              (1,820)      ( - 7.4% )

     9     1,542      0.9%           Sweden             (1,346)      ( +14.6% )

    10     1,396      0.8%           Netherlands        (1,382)      ( + 1.0% )

    11     1,391      0.8%           Switzerland        (1,373)      ( + 1.3% )

          94,096     55.6%           United States     (90,701)      ( + 3.7% )

         169,154    100.0%           All Countries    (163,208)      ( + 3.6% )

    * Please note that the country of origin is determined by the residence of

    the first-named inventor

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Regional Patenting, Annual Percentage Change in Patenting,

                   Calendar Year 1998 to 1999

     (counts include utility, design, plant, and reissue patents, and

      statutory invention registrations)

    STATE *         1998   1999   TOTAL        Annual %

                                  98-99        Increase

    -------------- ----- ------ ------- ---------------

    ALABAMA          422    469     891           11.1%

    ALASKA            76     66     142          -13.2%

    ARIZONA         1677   1622    3299           -3.3%

    ARKANSAS         184    226     410           22.8%

    CALIFORNIA     17828  18865   36693            5.8%

    COLORADO        1916   1984    3900            3.5%

    CONNECTICUT     2071   2026    4097           -2.2%

    DELAWARE         424    444     868            4.7%

    FLORIDA         3116   3043    6159           -2.3%

    GEORGIA         1496   1545    3041            3.3%

    HAWAII            93     97     190            4.3%

    IDAHO            897   1261    2158           40.6%

    ILLINOIS        4365   4308    8673           -1.3%

    INDIANA         1561   1706    3267            9.3%

    IOWA             720    819    1539           13.8%

    KANSAS           404    495     899           22.5%

    KENTUCKY         404    508     912           25.7%

    LOUISIANA        543    519    1062           -4.4%

    MAINE            143    145     288            1.4%

    MARYLAND        1575   1642    3217            4.3%

    MASSACHUSETTS   3735   3822    7557            2.3%

    MICHIGAN        3825   4039    7864            5.6%

    MINNESOTA       2780   2903    5683            4.4%

    MISSISSIPPI      202    220     422            8.9%

    MISSOURI        1049   1086    2135            3.5%

    MONTANA          149    142     291           -4.7%

    NEBRASKA         233    229     462           -1.7%

    NEVADA           332    356     688            7.2%

    NEW HAMPSHIRE    649    690    1339            6.3%

    NEW JERSEY      4204   4372    8576            4.0%

    NEW MEXICO       363    356     719           -1.9%

    NEW YORK        7113   6900   14013           -3.0%

    NORTH CAROLIN   1842   1953    3795            6.0%

    NORTH DAKOTA      69     77     146           11.6%

    OHIO            3897   4005    7902            2.8%

    OKLAHOMA         542    545    1087            0.6%

    OREGON          1560   1386    2946          -11.2%

    PENNSYLVANIA    3763   4077    7840            8.3%

    RHODE ISLAND     357    341     698           -4.5%

    SOUTH CAROLIN    682    656    1338           -3.8%

    SOUTH DAKOTA      57     78     135           36.8%

    TENNESSEE        912   1018    1930           11.6%

    TEXAS           5980   6424   12404            7.4%

    UTAH             731    748    1479            2.3%

    VERMONT          343    363     706            5.8%

    VIRGINIA        1163   1152    2315           -0.9%

    WASHINGTON      1998   2039    4037            2.1%

    WEST VIRGINIA    211    166     377          -21.3%

    WISCONSIN       1880   1999    3879            6.3%

    WYOMING           49     58     107           18.4%

    DISTR. OF COL.    85     63     148          -25.9%

    GUAM               5      4       9          -20.0%

    PUERTO RICO       21     33      54           57.1%

    UNITED STATES      2      4       6          100.0%

    VIRGIN (U.S.)      3      2       5          -33.3%

    U.S. TOTALS    90701  94096  184797            3.7%

    COUNTRY *       1998   1999   TOTAL        Annual %

                                  98-99        Increase

    -------------- ----- ------ ------- ---------------

    ALBANIA            0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    ALGERIA            1      0       1         -100.0%

    ANDORRA            2      1       3          -50.0%

    ANGUILLA           1      0       1         -100.0%

    ANTIGUA + BARB     0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    ARAB EMIRATES      1      3       4          200.0%

    ARGENTINA         46     46      92            0.0%

    ARMENIA            0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    AUSTRALIA        830    832    1662            0.2%

    AUSTRIA          408    505     913           23.8%

    AZERBAIJAN         0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    THE BAHAMAS       10     11      21           10.0%

    BAHRAIN            0      2       2 No 1998 Patents

    BARBADOS           0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    BELARUS            8      5      13          -37.5%

    BELGIUM          755    718    1473           -4.9%

    BERMUDA            2      1       3          -50.0%

    BOLIVIA            1      1       2            0.0%

    BRAZIL            88     98     186           11.4%

    BULGARIA           4      3       7          -25.0%

    CANADA          3537   3678    7215            4.0%

    CAYMAN ISLANDS     6      2       8          -66.7%

    CHILE             17     12      29          -29.4%

    CHINA,HONG KON   373    413     786           10.7%

    CHINA, PEOPLE'    88     99     187           12.5%

    COLOMBIA           4      6      10           50.0%

    COSTA RICA         5     11      16          120.0%

    CROATIA           14     16      30           14.3%

    CUBA               5      3       8          -40.0%

    CZECH REPUBLIC    17     25      42           47.1%

    CZECHOSLOVAKIA     9      5      14          -44.4%

    DENMARK          500    588    1088           17.6%

    DOMINICAN REPU     0      3       3 No 1998 Patents

    ECUADOR            6      4      10          -33.3%

    EGYPT              1      3       4          200.0%

    EL SALVADOR        1      0       1         -100.0%

    ESTONIA            0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    FINLAND          629    695    1324           10.5%

    FRANCE          3991   4097    8088            2.7%

    GERMANY         9582   9896   19478            3.3%

    GHANA              0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    GREECE            17     24      41           41.2%

    GUATEMALA          2      1       3          -50.0%

    HAITI              0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    HONDURAS           4      2       6          -50.0%

    HUNGARY           52     39      91          -25.0%

    ICELAND            7     12      19           71.4%

    INDIA             94    114     208           21.3%

    INDONESIA         10      5      15          -50.0%

    IRAN               0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    IRELAND           81    104     185           28.4%

    ISRAEL           820    792    1612           -3.4%

    ITALY           1820   1686    3506           -7.4%

    JAMAICA            1      1       2            0.0%

    JAPAN          32119  32515   64634            1.2%

    JORDAN             3      1       4          -66.7%

    KAZAKHSTAN         1      1       2            0.0%

    KENYA              1      2       3          100.0%

    KUWAIT             6     13      19          116.7%

    LATVIA             1      3       4          200.0%

    LEBANON            3      2       5          -33.3%

    LIECHTENSTEIN     16     15      31           -6.3%

    LITHUANIA          3      2       5          -33.3%

    LUXEMBOURG        46     35      81          -23.9%

    MADAGASCAR         0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    MALAYSIA          35     34      69           -2.9%

    MALTA              2      0       2         -100.0%

    MARSHALL ISLAN     0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    MAURITIUS          0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    MEXICO            77     94     171           22.1%

    MOLDOVA, REPUB     0      3       3 No 1998 Patents

    MONACO             7     15      22          114.3%

    MOROCCO            2      2       4            0.0%

    MYANMAR            1      0       1         -100.0%

    NETH. ANTILLES     1      0       1         -100.0%

    NETHERLANDS     1382   1396    2778            1.0%

    NEW CALEDONIA      1      0       1         -100.0%

    NEW ZEALAND      145    134     279           -7.6%

    NICARAGUA          0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    NIGERIA            2      0       2         -100.0%

    NORFOLK ISLAND     0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    NORWAY           232    246     478            6.0%

    PAKISTAN           2      0       2         -100.0%

    PANAMA             0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    PARAGUAY           0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    PERU               5      3       8          -40.0%

    PHILIPPINES       19     21      40           10.5%

    POLAND            19     20      39            5.3%

    PORTUGAL          12      6      18          -50.0%

    ROMANIA            3      4       7           33.3%

    RUSSIAN FEDERA   194    185     379           -4.6%

    SAINT KITTS +      2      0       2         -100.0%

    SAN MARINO         0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    SAUDI ARABIA      14     13      27           -7.1%

    SINGAPORE        136    152     288           11.8%

    SLOVAKIA           2      6       8          200.0%

    SLOVENIA          20     13      33          -35.0%

    SOUTH AFRICA     132    127     259           -3.8%

    SOUTH KOREA     3362   3679    7041            9.4%

    SPAIN            308    265     573          -14.0%

    SRI LANKA          2      0       2         -100.0%

    SURINAME           0      2       2 No 1998 Patents

    SWEDEN          1346   1542    2888           14.6%

    SWITZERLAND     1373   1391    2764            1.3%

    SYRIA              0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    TAIWAN          3805   4526    8331           18.9%

    THAILAND          21     29      50           38.1%

    TRINIDAD/TOBAG     2      1       3          -50.0%

    TURKEY             2      4       6          100.0%

    TURKS AND CAIC     1      0       1         -100.0%

    U.S.S.R.           6      3       9          -50.0%

    UKRAINE           17     20      37           17.6%

    UNITED KINGDOM  3726   3900    7626            4.7%

    URUGUAY            3      4       7           33.3%

    UZBEKISTAN         1      1       2            0.0%

    VENEZUELA         29     39      68           34.5%

    VIET NAM           0      2       2 No 1998 Patents

    VIRGIN (BRITIS     3      3       6            0.0%

    YUGOSLAVIA         4      3       7          -25.0%

    ZIMBABWE           0      1       1 No 1998 Patents

    TOTAL         163208 169154  332362            3.6%

    * Please note that the country of origin is

    determined by the residence of the first-named

    inventor.

    ------------------

    Questions regarding this report should be directed to:

    (address as of 3/99)

                 U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

                 Information Products Division

                   Technology Assessment and Forecast Branch

                 PK3-Suite 441

                 Washington, DC  20231

                 tel (703) 306-2600

                 FAX (703) 306-2737

    _______________________________________________________________________________________

    SOURCE:   U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE

              Technology Assessment and Forecast database    (2-22-2000)