                         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

