On February 10, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has released the data of the international filings for patents, trademarks and industrial designs in 2021. IP filing activity has grown during the global pandemic, even during the 2020 drop in worldwide economic growth. China continued to perform well and lead the rankings in international patent and trademark applications. 

These figures show that human ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit remain strong despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic.

WIPO's global IP services help local enterprises go global by making it easier and cheaper to promote their businesses overseas. Although COVID-19 related restrictions have kept humans and families apart, it cannot stop the worldwide movement of fresh ideas, innovative products and new services.

International patent applications filed via WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) grew by 0.9% in 2021 to reach 277,500 applications – the highest-ever level.  Asia manifested its lead as the largest origin of international patent applications, accounting for 54.1% of all applications in 2021.

WIPO's global trademark (Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks) and design (Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs) filing systems, used to protect and promote brands and the look and feel of products like mobile phones, surged by 14.4% and 20.8% respectively, each notched double-digit growth to mark new records as did WIPO's anti-cybersquatting and arbitration and mediation activities.

China (69,540 applications, +0.9% year-on-year growth) remained the largest user of the PCT in 2021. This was followed by the U.S. (59,570 applications, +1.9%), Japan (50,260 applications, –0.6%), the Republic of Korea (20,678 applications, +3.2%) and Germany (17,322 applications, –6.4%).  

China-based telecoms giant Huawei Technologies, with 6,952 published PCT applications, was the top filer in 2021, ranks first in the World in PCT applications for five consecutive years. In addition, other two Chinese enterprises ranked among the top 10 applicants, namely Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telcommunications CORP., Ltd. and BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.. It is worth noting that four universities from China ranked in the top 10 applicants among educational institutions in 2021, namely Zhejiang University (306) ranking 2, Tsinghua University (201) ranking 4, South China University of Technology (169) ranking 7 and Suzhou University (153) ranking 9. Chinese universities occupied 19 of the top 50 educational institutions, the largest number of universities on the list.

For international trademark applications using WIPO’s Madrid System in 2021, China (5,272) followed U.S. and Germany, and continued to rank third in the world. Huawei Technologies of China, with 98 Madrid applications, was the fourth larger filer of international trademark applications in 2021. 

As to the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs, applications from Chinese users reached 258 (including 621 designs), making China continue to be the top 10 applicants in the Hague system. Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd., with 227 applications, ranked 8th in the list of top filers. From May 5, 2022, the Hague Agreement will enter into force in China, and more Chinese companies and designers will benefit from the Hague system.

It was also a record year for WIPO mediation and arbitration cases involving copyright, patents, trademarks and other types of disputes involving technology, with an increase of 44.5%. Particular increases concerned international IP disputes referred by the Chinese courts.