IP Australia’s Australian Intellectual Property Report 2020 reveals that Australians increased their overseas patent filings in 2019 by three per cent.
As many readers would be aware, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), administers the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Under the PCT a single international application gives rise to potential patent rights in 152 countries, including Australia.
For the second year running, Michael Buck IP (MBIP) is among the top ten PCT filers in Australia. MBIP came in eighth with 43 PCT applications filed by its seven patent attorneys. The number one filing firm, with 46 patent attorneys, filed 159 PCT applications and the number 10 filer, with 15 patent attorneys filed 33 PCT applications. Ranked on a per-patent attorney basis, and recognising that statistics can be used as evidence for just about anything, nevertheless we are very pleased to have the highest ratio of PCT filings to number of patent attorneys in the top ten PCT filers list.
Of the top ten PCT filers five were independent firms, including our firm, with the other five being firms owned by either of the publicly listed entities IPH Limited or Qantm Limited.
The data was compiled using WIPO’s Patentscope database and the records of the TTPASB. The rankings were compiled by searching for PCT applications with a filing date between 1 Jan 2019 and 31 Dec 2019, that have been published before 18 November 2020. Information about PCT filings is not available until eighteen months from the earliest priority date.
The PCT applications filed by MBIP during 2019 were made on behalf of clients in a broad spectrum of technology areas. Areas covered included mechanical engineering, computer science and software, medical technology, biotechnologies, materials science, mining technologies and chemical technologies.
Provisional Filings YTD
Australian provisional applications are prepared and filed on behalf of Australian companies and individuals. Therefore, provisional application filings are a good indicator of the extent to which a firm provides services to domestic clients. Looking at provisional patent filings from January 2020 to October 2020, MBIP once again came in eighth in Australia with 78 filings. The number one provisional filing firm made 235 filings with a complement of 46 patent attorneys and the number ten firm, with 20 patent attorneys, filed 54 patent applications. Once again, it was pleasing to find that on a per attorney basis MBIP enjoyed the highest ratio of provisional filings to firm patent attorneys.
As was also the case for PCT filings, the top ten provisional filing firms include five independent firms and five firms that are owned by either of the publicly listed entities IP Limited or Qantm Limited.
MBIP is proud to be one of the independent firms listed among the top 10 filers of patent applications for domestic Australian clients.
In relation to the filing numbers, Principal Andy Mukherji said, “The last few years have seen some interesting developments in the Australian profession where listed entities like IPH Limited and Qantm IP Limited have acquired multiple firms that continue to operate independently under common ownership. However, it is heartening to see that there are several independent boutique firms, like our own, that continue to do well in the Australian IP market”.
As noted in IP Australia’s report, the ownership of IP rights, specifically patents, trade marks and designs, is strongly and positively associated with business profitability. Please contact us if you would like to discuss the protection of your IP rights.