United States

European patent applications

US in comparison with other key countries
Origin
United States
EPO member states
All countries

2014
36,668
75,585
152,703

2015
42,692
76,097
160,022

% change 2015
vs. 2014
16.4%
0.7%
4.8%

Share in total
applications
2015
27%
47%

GLOSSARY
Applications are the files for which applicants have decided to request a European patent from the EPO. They are a direct measure for the explicit interest of innovating firms to assert their patent rights on the European technology market.
(Applications: Direct European applications and International (PCT) applications entering the European phase)
Filings are a preliminary patent application activity indicating the potential interest of innovating businesses from all over the world in the European technology market.
(Filings: Direct European filings under the EPC and international filings under the PCT)
Grants refer to patents delivered by the EPO after a detailed examination process of the patent application (ensuring it fulfils all the requirements of patent protection) and published in the year under review.
Statistics are based on the first-named applicant (in the case of grants, first-named patentee)

European patent filings

Development of the filings from US over the last 10 years
United States
Total filings

2006
60,981
210,784

2007
63,351
222,573

2007/2006
3.9%
5.6%

2008
61,200
225,978

2008/2007
-3.4%
1.5%

2009
53,884
211,351

2009/2008
-12.0%
-6.5%

2010
60,816
235,731

2010/2009
12.9%
11.5%

2011
60,247
244,995

2011/2010
2012
2012/2011
2013
2013/2012
-0.9%
63,433
5.3%
67,153
5.9%
3.9% 258,500
5.5% 265,918
2.9%

2014
70,681
274,367

2014/2013 2015
5.3%
65,754
3.2% 278,867

Shares in
2015/2014 2015
-7.0%
24%
1.6%

2007/2006
2.3%
4.3%

2008
37,009
146,244

2008/2007
4.7%
3.5%

2009
32,846
134,511

2009/2008
-11.2%
-8.0%

2010
39,508
151,015

2010/2009
20.3%
12.3%

2011
35,050
142,822

2011/2010
2012
2012/2011
2013
2013/2012
-11.3%
35,268
0.6%
34,011
-3.6%
-5.4% 148,562
4.0% 148,027
-0.4%

2014
36,668
152,703

2014/2013 2015
7.8%
42,692
3.2% 160,022

Shares in
2015/2014 2015
16.4%
27%
4.8%

2007/2006
-15.7%
-12.9%

2008
12,728
59,800

2008/2007
1.8%
9.3%

2009
11,344
51,952

2009/2008
-10.9%
-13.1%

2010
12,512
58,117

2010/2009
10.3%
11.9%

2011
13,391
62,108

2011/2010
7.0%
6.9%

2014
14,384
64,613

2014/2013 2015
-3.3%
14,950
-3.1% 68,421

Shares in
2015/2014 2015
3.9%
22%
5.9%

European patent applications

Development of the applications from US over the last 10 years
United States
Total applications

2006
34,560
135,358

2007
35,345
141,231

European patent grants

Development of granted patents from US over the last 10 years
United States
Total patents granted

2006
14,832
62,777

2007
12,508
54,700

European patent applications

Top 15 technology fields in 2015

European patent applications

Ranking according to the ratio applications per mio inhabitants
Rank

TECHNOLOGY FIELD
1 Medical technology
2 Computer technology
3 Digital communication
4 Pharmaceuticals
5 Engines, pumps, turbines
6 Measurement
7 Biotechnology
8 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
9 Organic fine chemistry
10 Basic materials chemistry
11 Transport
12 Audio-visual technology
13 Civil engineering
14 Other special machines
15 Telecommunications
Sub-total
All fields

2014
4405
3570
2747
1815
1044
1597
1610
1639
1552
1231
1091
935
836
864
858
25794
36,668

European patent applications

Ranking of Top 30 US applicants
COMPANY
1 UNITED TECHNOLOGIES
2 QUALCOMM
3 GENERAL ELECTRIC
4 INTEL
5 MICROSOFT
6 JOHNSON & JOHNSON
7 HONEYWELL
8 DOW CHEMICAL
9 PROCTER & GAMBLE
10 GOOGLE
11 HALLIBURTON
12 BOEING
13 3M
14 HEWLETT-PACKARD
15 MEDTRONIC
16 EXXON MOBIL
17 CORNING
18 DU PONT
19 PHILIP MORRIS
20 BOSTON SCIENTIFIC
21 NIKE
22 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS
23 ABBOTT
24 EATON
25 SCHLUMBERGER
26 MERCK & CO
27 WHIRLPOOL
28 CISCO
29 APPLE
30 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

2015
1869
1705
1316
1039
921
799
713
658
657
626
584
581
578
548
469
349
322
283
279
265
248
243
226
218
215
209
204
200
188
178

2015
5158
4372
2837
2269
2096
1933
1915
1791
1746
1600
1219
1115
992
987
951
30981
42,692

2015/2014
17.1%
22.5%
3.3%
25.0%
100.8%
21.0%
18.9%
9.3%
12.5%
30.0%
11.7%
19.3%
18.7%
14.2%
10.8%
20.1%
16.4%

Country

Applications
2015
7,088
7,100
3,839
2,000
1,930
24,820
1,992
2,041
21,426
10,781
1,100
42,692
6,411
582
512
5,037
391
3,979
118

Population

Ratio:
applications per
8,121,830 mio. inhabitants
872.7
16,947,904
418.9
9,801,616
391.7
5,476,922
365.2
5,581,503
345.8
80,854,408
307.0
8,665,550
229.9
11,323,973
180.2
126,919,659
168.8
66,553,766
162.0
8,049,314
136.7
321,368,864
132.8
49,115,196
130.5
4,892,305
119.0
5,207,689
98.3
64,088,222
78.6
5,674,472
68.9
61,855,120
64.3
1,983,412
59.5

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

Switzerland
Netherlands
Sweden
Finland
Denmark
Germany
Austria
Belgium
Japan
France
Israel
United States
Korea, Republic of
Ireland
Norway
United Kingdom
Singapore
Italy
Slovenia

20

Chinese taipei

1,260

23,415,126

53.8

21

Canada

1,645

35,099,836

46.9

22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38

New Zealand
Australia
Spain
Cyprus
Estonia
Czech Republic
Poland
Latvia
Lithuania
Portugal
Qatar
Hong Kong
Hungary
Slovakia
Greece
Mauritius
Puerto Rico

188
819
1,527
37
32
213
568
29
39
137
24
74
99
48
86
9
24

4,438,393
22,751,014
48,146,134
1,189,197
1,265,420
10,644,842
38,562,189
1,986,705
2,884,433
10,825,309
2,194,817
7,141,106
9,897,541
5,445,027
10,775,643
1,339,827
3,598,357

42.4
36.0
31.7
31.1
25.3
20.0
14.7
14.6
13.5
12.7
10.9
10.4
10.0
8.8
8.0
6.7
6.7

2012
14,703
65,655

2012/2011
9.8%
5.7%

2013
14,877
66,712

2013/2012
1.2%
1.6%

European patent applications

Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO.
Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant.
% change
Rank Country
2014
2015
2015/2014
1 United States
36,668
42,692
16.4%
2 Germany
25,633
24,820
-3.2%
3 Japan
22,118
21,426
-3.1%
4 France
10,614
10,781
1.6%
5 Netherlands
6,874
7,100
3.3%
6 Switzerland
6,910
7,088
2.6%
7 Korea, Republic of
6,166
6,411
4.0%
8 China
4,680
5,721
22.2%
9 United Kingdom
4,764
5,037
5.7%
10 Italy
3,649
3,979
9.0%
11 Sweden
3,873
3,839
-0.9%
12 Belgium
1,927
2,041
5.9%
13 Finland
2,182
2,000
-8.3%
14 Austria
1,964
1,992
1.4%
15 Denmark
1,983
1,930
-2.7%
16 Canada
1,708
1,645
-3.7%
17 Spain
1,471
1,527
3.8%
18 Chinese taipei
1,119
1,260
12.6%
19 Israel
1,048
1,100
5.0%
20 Australia
788
819
3.9%
21 Ireland
622
582
-6.4%
22 India
541
574
6.1%
23 Poland
482
568
17.8%
24 Norway
529
512
-3.2%
25 Turkey
403
447
10.9%
26 Luxembourg
454
404
-11.0%
27 Singapore
364
391
7.4%
28 Liechtenstein
278
371
33.5%
29 Russian Federation
209
230
10.0%
30 Czech Republic
167
213
27.5%
31 New Zealand
180
188
4.4%
32 Brazil
208
187
-10.1%
33 Saudi Arabia
290
182
-37.2%
34 Portugal
113
137
21.2%
35 Cayman Islands
150
119
-20.7%
36 Slovenia
125
118
-5.6%
37 Virgin Islands, British
111
111
0.0%
38 Hungary
114
99
-13.2%
39 South Africa
112
98
-12.5%
40 Greece
95
86
-9.5%
41 Malta
62
85
37.1%
42 Bermuda
71
77
8.5%
43 Hong Kong
26
74
184.6%
44 Mexico
55
68
23.6%
45 Barbados
114
66
-42.1%
46 Malaysia
53
56
5.7%
47 Slovakia
26
48
84.6%
48 Iceland
42
45
7.1%
49 Lithuania
24
39
62.5%
50 Cyprus
44
37
-15.9%