Global intellectual property applications rose last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with China leading the growth, World Intellectual Property Organization data shows.

Of the 3.4 million patent applications filed around the world in 2021, China’s IP office received 1.59 million, according to the World Intellectual Property Indicators Report 2022, issued on Monday.

The worldwide total was “slightly higher” than the pre-COVID peak of 3.3 million in 2018, and represented 3.6% growth on 2020, the report said.

The number of Chinese patent applications was equivalent to the total for the 12 countries that come next on the list. China also witnessed growth in other IP sectors, such as trademarks, industrial designs, plant varieties and geographical indications.

“The latest data demonstrates the sustained growth of the world’s IP filings amid the pandemic, which shows people’s increasing awareness about innovation and IP protection,” said Zhao Zhanling, an expert on intellectual property at China University of Political Science and Law.

Highlighting the connection between IP applications and economic growth, Zhao added that the report reflected China’s contributions to the global economy during the pandemic.

There were an estimated 73.7 million active trademark registrations at 149 IP offices last year — up 14.3% from 2020. Of those, 37.2 million were in China, followed by 2.8 million in the United States and 2.6 million in India, the report said.

China also reported the largest number of geographical indications in force and industrial design registrations in force, it said. China’s IP office received 11,195 plant variety applications in 2021, accounting for 44.2% of the global total.

Kang Lixia, an IP lawyer from Hanray Law Firm in Beijing, said the report showed that the innovations and steps toward development Chinese enterprises have undertaken have not been slowed by the pandemic.

Kang said Chinese companies have applied for more patents in new industries, including communication electronics, artificial intelligence, voice recognition, elderly care and biomedicine.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【 专利】zhuānlì patent a right or privilege granted by an official document

【相当于】xiāngdāng yú equivalent to equal to, the same as

世界知识产权组织数据显示，尽管新冠疫情持续，但2021年全球知识产权申请量仍呈上升趋势，中国申请量增长居首。

11月21日发布的2022年《世界知识产权指标》报告显示，2021年全球创新者提交了340万件专利申请，其中，中国国家知识产权局在2021年受理了159万件专利申请。

报告称，全球专利申请总量“略高于”2018年的330万（疫情前的峰值），与2020年相比增长3.6%。

中国专利申请量相当于紧随其后的12个国家申请量总和。中国在商标、工业设计、植物品种、地理标志等其他知识产权领域申请量也呈现增长。

中国政法大学知识产权专家赵占领表示：“最新数据表明，疫情期间世界知识产权申请持续发展，这表明人们对创新和知识产权保护的意识正在不断加强。”

赵占领强调，知识产权申请与经济增长密切相关，该报告反映出中国在疫情期间对全球经济的贡献。

据估计，2021年149家知识产权局的有效商标注册量为7370万件，比2020年增长14.3%。报告称，其中，中国占3720万件，其次是美国占280万件，印度占260万件。

报告称，中国的地理标志和工业外观设计有效注册数量最多。2021年，中国知识产权局受理了11195份植物品种申请，占全球总量的44.2%。

北京瀚仁律师事务所知识产权律师康丽霞（音译）称，报告显示，中国企业的发展创新和进步并未因疫情而放缓。

她表示，中国企业在通信电子、人工智能、语音识别、养老和生物医药等新兴行业申请了更多专利。

(chinadaily.com.cn)