EPO records drop in UK patent applications

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UK businesses have filed fewer patent applications in Europe for the second year running, according to new data from the European Patent Office (EPO).

UK patent applications
European Patent Office (Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay)

According to the Patent Index Report 2021, patent applications made by UK businesses to the EPO last year fell by 1.2 per cent to 5,627, down from 5,698 in the previous year. This dip was recorded despite an overall increase in the volume of European patent applications, which rose to a new high of 188,600.

Commenting on the findings, Karl Barnfather, partner and patent attorney at Withers & Rogers, said: “The slight dip in European patent filings originating in the UK in 2021 is not as marked as that seen in 2020, suggesting that the situation is stabilising, and we are expecting to see a return to growth in next year’s data. Crucially, the UK’s share of European patent filings has remained at three per cent.

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