Patents, as we know, is a way for companies big and small to defend their intellectual property. Patents defend a company’s right to use their own proprietary intellectual property, while stopping competitors from abusing their use. It’s also why patent filings have been on the increase across the world – in Europe, the total number of patent filings in 2013 rose 2.8% from 2012.
But filing patents isn’t guaranteed – did you know for example that there were 265, 690 European patent filings in 2013 but only 66,712 were granted? That’s a success rate of just 1 in 4. But that’s not stopping many companies from trying – Samsung, for example, filed 2833 patents in Europe last year, above Siemens at 1974.
Here’s an infographic by James Sherwin of solictors Sherwin O’Riordan that shows you some interesting facts and figures in the world of European patents.
