2007 Sees a record number of patent filings - East Asia continues to show fastest growth

Which countries file patents? In an interesting review for 2007 it is shown that there has been a record number (156,100) of filings under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). The country ranking is as follows:
1st USA
2nd Japan
3rd Germany - where the individual inventors are rewarded
4th Korea
5th France
6th UK
7th China

The review states that, 'For the fourth year running, the most notable growth rates came from countries in north east Asia which accounted for over a quarter (25.8%) of all international applications under the PCT.'

It is clear that in high-tech areas patents can often be policed and the risk of violation are high. In paper chemicals it remains questionable as to the value of patents and the ability of companies to police their 'inventions'. There are exceptions but the legal protection of patents in certain countries remains weak.