Posted in: S&H IP Blog | USPTO News
USPTO Year in Review: 2019 Patent Trends
USPTO Year in Review: 2019 Patent Trends*
In January, 2020, United States Patent and Trademark Office (”USPTO) released its annual Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2019. Overall, the report showed a slight decrease in U.S. patent application filings and U.S. patent issuances across utility, design and plant applications. Further, comparing fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2018, the average time for a first office action to issue dropped from 15.8 months to 14.7 months and the total average pendency remained at 23.8 months.
Patent | 2018 | 2019 | ∆% | |
Filings | Utility | 599,174 | 616,852 | 2.95 |
Design | 46,360 | 46,142 | -0.47 | |
Plant | 1,049 | 1,168 | 11.34 | |
Reissue | 989 | 1,069 | 8.09 | |
Issued | Utility | 306,912 | 305,008 | -0.62 |
Design | 30,849 | 31,845 | 3.23 | |
Plant | 1,251 | 1,193 | -4.64 | |
Resissue | 500 | 538 | 7.60 | |
UPR Pendency Statistics by Technology Center (in months) | Average First | Total Average |
Total UPR Pendency | 14.7 | 23.8 |
Tech Center 1600””Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry | 11.8 | 22.8 |
Tech Center 1700””Chemical and Materials Engineering | 16.4 | 27.7 |
Tech Center 2100””Computer Architecture, Software, and Information Security | 17.5 | 28.3 |
Tech Center 2400””Networks, Multiplexing, Cable, and Security | 13.3 | 25.2 |
Tech Center 2600””Communications | 10.4 | 20.0 |
Tech Center 2800””Semiconductor, Electrical, Optical Systems, and Components | 12.5 | 22.1 |
Tech Center 3600””Transportation, Construction, Agriculture, and Electronic Commerce | 16.5 | 26.8 |
Tech Center 3700””Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Products | 19.1 | 28.8 |
2019”™s Top 20 U.S. Patent Assignees:*
Rank | Company | 2018 Grants | 2019 Grants | ∆% |
1 | IBM | 9,100 | 9,262 | 1.78 |
2 | Samsung Electronics Co Ltd | 5,850 | 6,469 | 10.58 |
3 | Canon Inc | 3,056 | 3,548 | 16.10 |
4 | Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC | 2,353 | 3,081 | 30.94 |
5 | Intel Corp | 2,735 | 3,020 | 10.42 |
6 | LG Electronics Inc | 2,474 | 2,805 | 13.38 |
7 | Apple Inc | 2,160 | 2,490 | 15.28 |
8 | Ford Global Technologies LLC | 2,123 | 2,468 | 16.25 |
9 | Amazon Technologies Inc | 2,035 | 2,427 | 19.26 |
10 | Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | 1,680 | 2,418 | 43.93 |
11 | Qualcomm Inc | 2,300 | 2,348 | 2.09 |
12 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd | 2,465 | 2,331 | -5.44 |
13 | BOE Technology Group Co Ltd | 1,624 | 2,177 | 34.05 |
14 | Sony Corp | 1,688 | 2,142 | 26.90 |
15 | Google LLC | 2,070 | 2,102 | 1.55 |
16 | Toyota Motor Corp | 1,959 | 2,034 | 3.83 |
17 | Samsung Display Co Ltd | 1,948 | 1,946 | -0.10 |
18 | General Electric Co | 1,597 | 1,818 | 13.84 |
19 | Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB | 1,353 | 1,607 | 18.77 |
20 | Hyundai Motor Co | 1,369 | 1,504 | 9.86 |
* USPTO Fiscal Year: October 1 through September 30
– All data comes from USPTO”™s 2018 and 2019 Performance and Accountability Report, available at https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/performance-and-planning/uspto-annual-reports
* All data was compiled by ifi CLAIMS Patent Services, available at: https://www.ificlaims.com/rankings-top-50-2019.htm