Düsseldorf, March 20, 2017 – Innovative companies are increasingly relying on the quality of German and European property rights. This is confirmed by the figures of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) for 2016: with a total growth of 5.8 percent compared to last year, the number of granted patents at the DPMA has reached the highest volume (15,652 patents) of the last nine years. Compared to 2015, the number of patent applications increased by 1.5 percent – a total of 67,898 applications were filed. “An increasing number of companies are realizing how enforceable German patents are. Research and development are thus given a secure basis through them," says Michel Kaminsky, patent attorney at Cohausz & Florack.
The DPMA can also report a new record for trademarks: With a total of 52,194 registered trademarks, 2016 saw the highest amount of the past nine years – an increase of 12.2 percent over the previous year. The number of applications for national trademarks in Germany roughly corresponds to that of the previous year (2015: 68,951 / 2016: 69,340). However, a clear upward trend can be seen for applications from abroad: The demand by foreign applicants for national trademarks has increased by 9.6 percent and reached the highest level in 15 years.
Furthermore, an increasing number of companies are now realizing that protection is also important on an international level. A positive development can be seen throughout Europe – and is underlined by the numbers provided by the European Patent Office (EPO): The total amount of 98,547 patents granted by the Office in 2016 represents an increase of almost 40 percent compared to 2015. According to forecasts by the EPO, this trend will continue in the next few years. The five countries for which the most European patents were granted in 2016 have all seen increasing volumes: In addition to German applications (an increase of 33%) this applies to applications from the USA (+ 49%), Japan (+ 48%), France (+ 30%) and especially from China (+ 80%).
