America's Role in Global IP Creation

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation released the results of a study titled "U.S.-Based Global Intellectual Property Creation" that analyzes the number of international patent applications filed in the United States between 1998 and 2006.

Led by Vivek Wadhwa of Duke University, a team of researchers reviewed data on applications filed under the WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT),  an international law that protects inventions in over 135 countries. The report explains that PCT applications  are an indicator of innovation and competitiveness because they are more time-intensive and costly than those filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and so they tend to represent the most sophisticated inventions. 

According to Kauffman's vice president of research and policy Robert Litan says, "an inquiry into trends in U.S. PCT applications offers a unique lens on technological change in this country."

Here's a summary of their key findings:

  • The total number of PCT applications filed in the United States has increased in recent years from 41,296 in 2002 to 49,555 in 2006.
  • While the U.S. is still responsible for the largest number of PCT applications in the world, it's share of total applications has decreased from 37.4 percent in 2002 to 34.1 percent in 2006 as other countries increase their filings.
  • Worldwide, the five companies filing the most PCT applications in 2006 were all non U.S.-based: Philips, Matsushita, Siemens, Nokia and Bosch.
  • In the U.S., the five companies filing the most PCT applications in 2006 were: 3M, Qualcomm, Intel,  Motorola and DuPont.
  • A vast majority of PCT applications - over 92 percent - were filed by the private sector in 2006; the remainder came from university and research institutions, with the University of California system leading the way. 
  • In a state-by-state comparison of the number of PCT applications per 100,000 workers, the top five states were: Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, California and New Jersey.
  • When it came to total numbers of PCT applications, California was the clear leader with 9,196 -- over three times as many as the next closest state, Massachusetts.

 

For more, download a PDF of the full report from the Kauffman Foundation. Published October 31, 2007.

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