Europe slips on patents as spending cuts take hold

EU countries undergoing science spending cuts filed fewer international patents in 2011, against a background of increasing total patents filed worldwide, the World Intellectual Property Organization says.

WIPO figures published on 5 March show that filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty rose by 10.7 per cent in 2011, the fastest growth since 2005. But China, Japan and the United States together accounted for 82 per cent of the growth.