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