Patents in force by office, country of origin

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) says the standard international rule provides that a patent may remain in force for up to 20 years, with extensions beyond this period possible in some circumstances.

WIPO says most offices require regular maintenance fees to be paid to maintain a patent’s validity, and many patents are maintained for less than the 20-year maximum.

However, information on patents in force is not available for several offices, including Brazil, India and some European countries.

The following WIPO chart shows the total number of patents in force by office in 2004 and 2005 for which data is available.

• About 5.6 million patents were in force worldwide in 2005, up 2 per cent from 2004.
• Of these, 90 per cent were accounted for by the 10 offices shown.

Patents in Force by Country of Origin

The following WIPO chart shows the number of patents in force in 2005 according to the patent applicants’ country of origin.

• Japanese and US applicants owned 28 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively, of patents in force worldwide in 2005.

The Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia (IPTA) is the peak professional body representing Australian patent and trade mark attorneys.
Phone Australia: 03 9819 2004. Email: mail@ipta.org.au

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WIPO - Patents in force by office, country of origin

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