Network and data filings growing fast, European Patent Office says

Patents filed for data processing and transmission technologies are outpacing other fields globally

Global patent filings for networked devices, data processing, 5G mobile internet and artificial intelligence technologies are growing at almost five times the average rate of all technology fields, the European Patent Office has reported.

Based on a study it carried out of filings between 2000 and 2018, the EPO reported on 10 December that data and connectivity-related patents grew at an average annual rate of 20 per cent.