Home > Listing of Viewable PTMT Reports

U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
Patent Technology Monitoring Team (PTMT)

# PATENTING TRENDS
CALENDAR YEAR 2011

(document dated 17-JAN-2011)

In calendar year 2011, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted 224,505 utility, 21,356 design, 823 plant, 1,029 reissue patents, and 15 statutory invention registrations for a total of 247,728 patent documents for the year. Annual grants of all patent documents increased by 1.4 percent when compared to the total for calendar year 2010 (244,358 grants in 2010). Calendar year 2011 grants of utility patents ('patents for inventions') numbered 224,505, a 2.2 percent increase above the total for 2010 (219,614).

In 2011, the share of all patents that were issued to U.S.-resident inventors was 48.9 percent, a decrease from the U.S. share for 2010 (49.6%). California-resident inventors claimed a 25.4 percent share (30,750 patents) of these U.S.-resident inventor patents, followed by resident inventors from Texas (6.6 percent, 8,045 patents), New York (6.5 percent, 7,842 patents), Massachusetts (4.6 percent, 5,526 patents), Washington (4.3 percent, 5,266 patents), Illinois (3.8 percent, 4,594 patents), Michigan (3.6 percent, 4,397 patents), New Jersey (3.5 percent, 4278 patents), and Minnesota (3.5 percent, 4227 patents). U.S.-resident inventors of the following areas had the largest percentage increases in patent receipts from 2010 to 2011: South Dakota, South Carolina, District of Columbia, Delaware, and Kansas.

There were 14,869 patents granted to U.S. independent inventors in 2011, down from the 2010 count of U.S. independent inventor patents (16,049). The independent inventor share of all patents issued to U.S.-resident inventors dropped to 12.3 percent in 2011 from a 13.2 percent share in 2010.

Foreign-resident inventors claimed a 51.1 percent share of all U.S. patents issued in 2011. The share of all U.S. patents that were issued to Japan-resident inventors in calendar year 2011 was 19.5 percent, up from 19.2 in 2010. The 2011 share of U.S. patents that were issued to South Korean-resident inventors was 5.3 percent, up from 5.1 percent in 2010. For Germany-resident inventors, the 2011 share was 5.2 percent, down from 5.6 percent in 2010 and the share for Taiwan-resident inventors was 4.0 percent for 2011, up from 3.9 in 2010. Countries with notable increases in patent receipts for 2011 include Poland, Slovenia, Chile, Thailand, Czech Republic, Sweden, Ireland, Brazil, and Turkey.

The foreign countries whose residents received the most U.S. patents during calendar year 2011 are displayed in the table below. Following the table is a detail table that lists states and countries and the percentage change in patenting by their residents from 2010 to 2011.

This table displays the fourteen foreign countries of origin receiving the most U.S. patents during calendar year 2011. Figures for the United States and for all countries overall are listed at the end of the table. Counts include utility, design, plant, and reissue patents, and statutory invention registrations. Patent origin is based on the residence of the first-named inventor.
Rank in 2011 | Number of Patents in 2011 | Share of All Patents in 2011 | Country | (Rank in 2010) | (Number of patents in 2010) | (2010 to 2011) (Change in Number of patents)
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
1 | 48256 | 19.5% | Japan | (1) | (46977) | ( 2.7% )
2 | 13239 | 5.3% | South Korea | (3) | (12508) | ( 5.8% )
3 | 12968 | 5.2% | Germany | (2) | (13633) | ( -4.9% )
4 | 9907 | 4.0% | Taiwan | (4) | (9636) | ( 2.8% )
5 | 5754 | 2.3% | Canada | (5) | (5513) | ( 4.4% )
6 | 5022 | 2.0% | France | (6) | (5100) | ( -1.5% )
7 | 4924 | 2.0% | United Kingdom | (7) | (5038) | ( -2.3% )
8 | 3786 | 1.5% | China, People's Rep. | (8) | (3303) | ( 14.6% )
9 | 2333 | 0.9% | Italy | (9) | (2254) | ( 3.5% )
10 | 2213 | 0.9% | Australia | (10) | (2079) | ( 6.4% )
11 | 2108 | 0.9% | Israel | (12) | (1917) | ( 10.0% )
12 | 2049 | 0.8% | Netherlands | (11) | (1919) | ( 6.8% )
13 | 1865 | 0.8% | Switzerland | (13) | (1889) | ( -1.3% )
14 | 1864 | 0.8% | Sweden | (14) | (1594) | ( 16.9% )
| 121,261 | 48.9% | United States |  | (121,179) | ( 0.1% )
| 126,467 | 51.1% | All Foreign |  | (123,179) | ( 2.7% )
| 247,728 | 100.0% | All Countries |  | (244,358) | ( 1.4% )

## Annual Percentage Change in Patent Counts
By U.S. State and Country of Origin
Calendar Year 2010 to 2011

This table displays states and countries of origin along with the annual percentage change in patent counts (including utility, design, plant, and reissue patents, and statutory invention registrations) from calendar year 2010 to 2011. U.S., foreign, and overall totals are displayed at the beginning of the table. Patent origin is based on the residence of the first-named inventor.
State or Country |  | Number of Patents in 2010 | Number of Patents in 2011 | Number of Patents in 2010-2011 | Annual Percent Increase
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Total, U.S. And Foreign Origin |  | 244358 | 247728 | 492086 | 1.4%
-- Subtotal -- U.S. Origin |  | 121179 | 121261 | 242440 | 0.1%
-- Subtotal -- Foreign Origin |  | 123179 | 126467 | 249646 | 2.7%
ALABAMA |  | 538 | 416 | 954 | -22.7%
ALASKA |  | 32 | 32 | 64 | 0.0%
ARIZONA |  | 2169 | 2248 | 4417 | 3.6%
ARKANSAS |  | 217 | 188 | 405 | -13.4%
CALIFORNIA |  | 30080 | 30750 | 60830 | 2.2%
COLORADO |  | 2436 | 2397 | 4833 | -1.6%
CONNECTICUT |  | 2111 | 2121 | 4232 | 0.5%
DELAWARE |  | 391 | 457 | 848 | 16.9%
FLORIDA |  | 3724 | 3841 | 7565 | 3.1%
GEORGIA |  | 2194 | 2206 | 4400 | 0.5%
HAWAII |  | 144 | 128 | 272 | -11.1%
IDAHO |  | 1162 | 1089 | 2251 | -6.3%
ILLINOIS |  | 4374 | 4594 | 8968 | 5.0%
INDIANA |  | 1697 | 1633 | 3330 | -3.8%
IOWA |  | 809 | 856 | 1665 | 5.8%
KANSAS |  | 728 | 805 | 1533 | 10.6%
KENTUCKY |  | 601 | 551 | 1152 | -8.3%
LOUISIANA |  | 355 | 368 | 723 | 3.7%
MAINE |  | 220 | 202 | 422 | -8.2%
MARYLAND |  | 1732 | 1639 | 3371 | -5.4%
MASSACHUSETTS |  | 5261 | 5526 | 10787 | 5.0%
MICHIGAN |  | 4277 | 4397 | 8674 | 2.8%
MINNESOTA |  | 4005 | 4227 | 8232 | 5.5%
MISSISSIPPI |  | 172 | 172 | 344 | 0.0%
MISSOURI |  | 1140 | 1004 | 2144 | -11.9%
MONTANA |  | 118 | 114 | 232 | -3.4%
NEBRASKA |  | 253 | 247 | 500 | -2.4%
NEVADA |  | 639 | 674 | 1313 | 5.5%
NEW HAMPSHIRE |  | 802 | 805 | 1607 | 0.4%
NEW JERSEY |  | 4345 | 4278 | 8623 | -1.5%
NEW MEXICO |  | 455 | 412 | 867 | -9.5%
NEW YORK |  | 8095 | 7842 | 15937 | -3.1%
NORTH CAROLINA |  | 2922 | 2884 | 5806 | -1.3%
NORTH DAKOTA |  | 112 | 95 | 207 | -15.2%
OHIO |  | 3983 | 3903 | 7886 | -2.0%
OKLAHOMA |  | 582 | 529 | 1111 | -9.1%
OREGON |  | 2340 | 2372 | 4712 | 1.4%
PENNSYLVANIA |  | 3889 | 3652 | 7541 | -6.1%
RHODE ISLAND |  | 354 | 351 | 705 | -0.8%
SOUTH CAROLINA |  | 652 | 793 | 1445 | 21.6%
SOUTH DAKOTA |  | 82 | 106 | 188 | 29.3%
TENNESSEE |  | 1037 | 1080 | 2117 | 4.1%
TEXAS |  | 8027 | 8045 | 16072 | 0.2%
UTAH |  | 1145 | 1215 | 2360 | 6.1%
VERMONT |  | 668 | 536 | 1204 | -19.8%
VIRGINIA |  | 1726 | 1744 | 3470 | 1.0%
WASHINGTON |  | 5810 | 5266 | 11076 | -9.4%
WEST VIRGINIA |  | 134 | 109 | 243 | -18.7%
WISCONSIN |  | 2232 | 2154 | 4386 | -3.5%
WYOMING |  | 89 | 74 | 163 | -16.9%
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA |  | 87 | 102 | 189 | 17.2%
PUERTO RICO |  | 28 | 28 | 56 | 0.0%
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS |  | 2 | 3 | 5 | 50.0%
U.S. UNSPECIFIED |  | 2 | 1 | 3 | -50.0%
U.S. TOTALS |  | 121179 | 121261 | 242440 | 0.1%
ALBANIA |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
ALGERIA |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | -100.0%
ANDORRA |  | 7 | 2 | 9 | -71.4%
ANGUILLA |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA |  | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.0%
ARGENTINA |  | 59 | 51 | 110 | -13.6%
ARMENIA |  | 2 | 7 | 9 | 250.0%
AUSTRALIA |  | 2079 | 2213 | 4292 | 6.4%
AUSTRIA |  | 905 | 927 | 1832 | 2.4%
AZERBAIJAN |  | 0 | 2 | 2 | No 2010 Patents
THE BAHAMAS |  | 9 | 10 | 19 | 11.1%
BAHRAIN |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | -100.0%
BARBADOS |  | 3 | 0 | 3 | -100.0%
BELARUS |  | 7 | 3 | 10 | -57.1%
BELGIUM |  | 896 | 958 | 1854 | 6.9%
BERMUDA |  | 3 | 6 | 9 | 100.0%
BOLIVIA |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
BRAZIL |  | 219 | 254 | 473 | 16.0%
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
BULGARIA |  | 60 | 43 | 103 | -28.3%
CAMEROON |  | 4 | 0 | 4 | -100.0%
CANADA |  | 5513 | 5754 | 11267 | 4.4%
CAYMAN ISLAND |  | 4 | 3 | 7 | -25.0%
CHILE |  | 27 | 35 | 62 | 29.6%
CHINA, HONG KONG |  | 716 | 658 | 1374 | -8.1%
CHINA, MACAU |  | 1 | 6 | 7 | 500.0%
CHINA, PEOPLE'S REP. |  | 3303 | 3786 | 7089 | 14.6%
COLOMBIA |  | 9 | 21 | 30 | 133.3%
COSTA RICA |  | 11 | 16 | 27 | 45.5%
CROATIA |  | 9 | 18 | 27 | 100.0%
CUBA |  | 8 | 6 | 14 | -25.0%
CYPRUS |  | 4 | 2 | 6 | -50.0%
CZECH REPUBLIC |  | 81 | 97 | 178 | 19.8%
DENMARK |  | 766 | 838 | 1604 | 9.4%
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC |  | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.0%
ECUADOR |  | 2 | 3 | 5 | 50.0%
EGYPT |  | 20 | 21 | 41 | 5.0%
EL SALVADOR |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | -100.0%
ESTONIA |  | 15 | 13 | 28 | -13.3%
FINLAND |  | 1232 | 1023 | 2255 | -17.0%
FRANCE |  | 5100 | 5022 | 10122 | -1.5%
GEORGIA (REPUBLIC OF) |  | 2 | 3 | 5 | 50.0%
GERMANY |  | 13633 | 12968 | 26601 | -4.9%
GHANA |  | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.0%
GIBRALTAR |  | 0 | 4 | 4 | No 2010 Patents
GREECE |  | 54 | 62 | 116 | 14.8%
GUATEMALA |  | 2 | 0 | 2 | -100.0%
GUERNSEY |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | -100.0%
HAITI |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
HONDURAS |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
HUNGARY |  | 98 | 111 | 209 | 13.3%
ICELAND |  | 25 | 24 | 49 | -4.0%
INDIA |  | 1137 | 1259 | 2396 | 10.7%
INDONESIA |  | 6 | 11 | 17 | 83.3%
IRAN |  | 8 | 17 | 25 | 112.5%
IRELAND |  | 275 | 319 | 594 | 16.0%
ISLE OF MAN |  | 4 | 2 | 6 | -50.0%
ISRAEL |  | 1917 | 2108 | 4025 | 10.0%
ITALY |  | 2254 | 2333 | 4587 | 3.5%
JAMAICA |  | 4 | 1 | 5 | -75.0%
JAPAN |  | 46977 | 48256 | 95233 | 2.7%
JERSEY |  | 1 | 2 | 3 | 100.0%
JORDAN |  | 1 | 5 | 6 | 400.0%
KAZAKHSTAN |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | -100.0%
KENYA |  | 1 | 3 | 4 | 200.0%
KOREA, NORTH |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | -100.0%
KOREA, SOUTH |  | 12508 | 13239 | 25747 | 5.8%
KUWAIT |  | 14 | 24 | 38 | 71.4%
LATVIA |  | 4 | 3 | 7 | -25.0%
LEBANON |  | 5 | 21 | 26 | 320.0%
LIECHTENSTEIN |  | 17 | 15 | 32 | -11.8%
LITHUANIA |  | 8 | 9 | 17 | 12.5%
LUXEMBOURG |  | 44 | 47 | 91 | 6.8%
MACEDONIA |  | 0 | 2 | 2 | No 2010 Patents
MALAYSIA |  | 224 | 181 | 405 | -19.2%
MALTA |  | 3 | 4 | 7 | 33.3%
MEXICO |  | 115 | 117 | 232 | 1.7%
MONACO |  | 9 | 8 | 17 | -11.1%
MOROCCO |  | 1 | 4 | 5 | 300.0%
NETHERLANDS |  | 1919 | 2049 | 3968 | 6.8%
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | -100.0%
NEW ZEALAND |  | 232 | 255 | 487 | 9.9%
NIGERIA |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
NORWAY |  | 448 | 412 | 860 | -8.0%
OMAN |  | 2 | 3 | 5 | 50.0%
PAKISTAN |  | 2 | 4 | 6 | 100.0%
PANAMA |  | 3 | 1 | 4 | -66.7%
PARAGUAY |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | -100.0%
PERU |  | 2 | 5 | 7 | 150.0%
PHILIPPINES |  | 40 | 30 | 70 | -25.0%
POLAND |  | 56 | 81 | 137 | 44.6%
PORTUGAL |  | 34 | 35 | 69 | 2.9%
QATAR |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
ROMANIA |  | 16 | 34 | 50 | 112.5%
RUSSIAN FEDERATION |  | 287 | 307 | 594 | 7.0%
SAMOA |  | 2 | 0 | 2 | -100.0%
SAUDI ARABIA |  | 58 | 61 | 119 | 5.2%
SENEGAL |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | -100.0%
SERBIA |  | 4 | 8 | 12 | 100.0%
SEYCHELLES |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
SINGAPORE |  | 633 | 696 | 1329 | 10.0%
SLOVAKIA |  | 19 | 19 | 38 | 0.0%
SLOVENIA |  | 26 | 35 | 61 | 34.6%
SOUTH AFRICA |  | 142 | 144 | 286 | 1.4%
SPAIN |  | 492 | 565 | 1057 | 14.8%
SRI LANKA |  | 5 | 7 | 12 | 40.0%
SWEDEN |  | 1594 | 1864 | 3458 | 16.9%
SWITZERLAND |  | 1889 | 1865 | 3754 | -1.3%
SYRIA |  | 0 | 1 | 1 | No 2010 Patents
TAIWAN |  | 9636 | 9907 | 19543 | 2.8%
THAILAND |  | 60 | 73 | 133 | 21.7%
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO |  | 5 | 2 | 7 | -60.0%
TUNISIA |  | 2 | 3 | 5 | 50.0%
TURKEY |  | 45 | 52 | 97 | 15.6%
UKRAINE |  | 14 | 18 | 32 | 28.6%
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |  | 9 | 13 | 22 | 44.4%
UNITED KINGDOM |  | 5038 | 4924 | 9962 | -2.3%
URUGUAY |  | 6 | 2 | 8 | -66.7%
VANUATU |  | 1 | 0 | 1 | -100.0%
VENEZUELA |  | 18 | 18 | 36 | 0.0%
VIET NAM |  | 2 | 0 | 2 | -100.0%
TOTAL |  | 244358 | 247728 | 492086 | 1.4%

## Contact Information -

Questions regarding these reports should be directed to:

> U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
> Electronic Information Products Division - PTMT
> P.O. Box 1450
> Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

> tel: (571) 272-5600
> FAX: (571) 273-0110
> e-mail:oeip@uspto.gov

> address of PTMT pages at the USPTO Web Site: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/tafp.html
> selected PTMT reports available for download at : http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/data/

Top

Home > Listing of Viewable PTMT Reports