Patent Application Trends in 2022
Due to economic recession caused by global inflation, domestic patent applications in 2022 remained at the previous year's level of approximately 237,000 cases, while international patent applications (PCT applications) and applications in Korea's high-tech and major industries such as semiconductors and digital communications increased. In detail, the number of domestic patent applications in 2022 was approximately 237,000 cases, down 0.2% from the previous year, and by type of applicant, applications from large companies (9.3%), foreigners (4.0%), and small and medium-sized businesses (0.8%) increased, but applications from individuals (△13.6%) decreased.
In Korean applications by technology sector, applications increased mainly in high-tech fields such as semiconductors (18.3%), e-commerce (7.5%) and electronic (digital) communications (5.8%), etc., while these related to civil engineering (△17.1%) and ‘other consumer goods’ (△16.1%) such as masks, etc. decreased.
On the other hand, in the case of international patent applications (PCT applications) in 2022, a total of 21,916 cases was an increase of 6.8% compared to the previous year, exceeding the average growth rate (6.6%) over the most recent five years ('18~'22).
Looking at the status of increase or decrease compared to the previous year by country for patents applied for in Korea in 2022, the United States (14%) and Europe (3.9%) increased, while China (△0.1%) and Japan (△2.2%) decreased. Looking at the current status of Korean applications by foreigners in the semiconductor field, Korean applications from the United States increased, while Korean applications from Japan and Taiwan decreased.
[Source: KIPO]
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