Global intellectual property (IP) filings rebounded strongly in 2010 after a considerable decline in 2009, it has been reported.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) announced that the recovery in IP filings was stronger than the overall economic recovery, with trademark filings growing by 11.8 per cent and patent filings by 7.2 per cent.
In its 2011 World Intellectual Property Indicators Report, the organization revealed that China and the US accounted for the greatest share of the increased filings.
Trademark applications rose to 3.66 million during 2010, marking an impressive turnaround following a 2.6 per cent fall in 2009.
WIPO director-general Francis Gurry said the upturn in IP filings shows that companies across the globe have been continuing to innovate.
“This can help to create new jobs and generate prosperity once macroeconomic stability is restored,” he stated.
“But if economic conditions were to deteriorate sharply in the short term – as happened in 2009 – companies might be forced to curtail or abandon their investments in innovation, stifling an essential source of growth.”