What’s the World’s IP Activity: WIPO IP Statistics Data Center

World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”) provides a free online service where users can access statistical data regarding worldwide IP activity. Any user can access this database as long as the user agrees not to republish or commercially resell the database and to cite to the “WIPO Statistics Database” in any written work.

The data center includes data related to patents, trademarks, industrial design, utility model for several countries and organizations/agreements including PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty), Madrid (The International Trademark System) and Hague (The Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs) systems. Information on which countries are parties to the different WIPO treaties and data for the database, including their date of accession, is available here for “PCT”, here for “Madrid”, and here for “Hague”. The data are acquired from national and regional intellectual property offices, international filing and registrations systems administered by WIPO, and extracted from the Patstat database.

Most data indicators relating to patent, trademark, industrial design and utility model cover a period starting from 1980. For PCT, Madrid and Hague systems, the data starts from 2004. Data prior to those periods maybe available upon request.

IP activity can be tracked using this database, e.g., based on patent families, patent publications or grants and categorized according to technology area, by country, or by region. The service primarily includes raw data, however, sometimes world totals are also included. For some data indicators, the database provides group totals by regions, using the UN composition of geographical regions, or by income groups according to the latest classification from the World Bank. The database also includes information on origin of an IP right, where the right owners seek protection, and who seeks protection.