EPO: Patent applications down in 2009

摘要

The European Patent Office (EPO) felt the impact of the economic slowdown in 2009. For the first time in 20 years, the number of applications filed by virtue of the European Patent Convention (EPC) declined. The EPO activity report for 2009, published on 27 April, shows an 8% drop in patent applications, from 146,600 in 2008 to 134,500 in 2009.rnThis total includes 55,900 applications (63,000 in 2008) filed directly with the EPO or with patent offices in the European Patent Organisation member states and 78,600 applications (83,500 in 2008) entering the European phase under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).