patentstatistikk

Patent statistics, or patentstatistikk in Norwegian, are quantitative measurements of patent activity used to assess invention, innovation performance, and technology trends. They typically cover filings and grants, but may also include patent families, assignees, publication dates, and technology classifications.

Data come from national patent offices and international databases such as WIPO Patentscope, the European Patent Office, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and others. A core set of indicators includes the number of applications filed, the number of patents granted, grant or publication rates, patent families, and the distribution by country, assignee, and technology area (IPC/CPC classifications). A patent family groups related filings across jurisdictions for a single invention. Analysts often examine priority year, international filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), and filings by technology sector or applicant.

Patents statistics are used to monitor innovation performance, inform policy and R&D planning, analyze competitiveness, and identify technology trends. They support cross-country comparisons and economic research, providing a basis for evaluating how public and private investments translate into protected technologies.

Limitations must be considered in interpretation. Not all innovations are patented; differences in patentability between jurisdictions and over time affect comparability. There are time lags between filing and grant, and between invention and economic impact. Data quality and coverage vary, and biases can arise from language, citation practices, and strategic patenting behavior.

Major data providers include WIPO, the EPO, the USPTO, CNIPA, JPO, and national offices, as well as research databases such as PATSTAT and OECD patent statistics. Global trends often show strong growth in filings in China, with continued significance in the United States and Europe, while regional patterns vary by technology.