Photo credit: Pam Roth

The World Intellectual Property Organization reports Japan dropped to second place worldwide in terms of patent application filing in 2006, giving up the pole position to the US for the first time in 43 years.  The United States Patent and Trademark Office received a total of 425,966 of patent applications.

Japan’s Patent Office trailed with 408,674 filings. China (210,501 applications) and South Korea (166,189 applications) followed.

However, Japan is still No. 1 regarding the share of worldwide patent applications submitted by applicants from the countries of origin. Individuals, business and research facilities based in Japan submitted 514,047 applications (USA: 390,815 applications, Korea: 172,709 applications, Germany: 130,806 applications). China is No. 4 in this ranking, having filed 128,850 applications.