Seoul, Korea - Samsung Electronics was found to have applied for the most patents in Europe in the last year, for the first time in Asian companies.
According to the announcement made by European Patent Office on the 10th, Samsung Electronics was ranked in the first in patent application, with 2,251 applications last year, followed by Siemens, BASF and GE. LG was ranked in the 5th with 1,635 applications.
Mitsubishi of Japan was ranked in the 8th with 1,344 applications, ZTE of People’s Republic of China in the 10th with 1,184. Panasonic and Sony were ranked in the 11th and 13th, with 1,169 and 1,098 applications, respectively.
In the number of European patent applications, applications for medical patent recorded the highest number, 10,412, with 1.6% increase YOY. Applications for electronic devices, equipment and energy (9,799), digital communication (9,592) and computer technology (8,288) followed the medical patent, in order, marking YOY increase rates of 11.4%, 20.4% and 3.3%, respectively. The increase rate of applications for digital communication was the highest among 30 categories.
The number of total application for European Patent last year was 257,744, 5.2% larger than that of 2011, and it was the largest number in its history.
삼성, 아시아기업으로는 처음 유럽 특허 출원 1위…LG도 5위
삼성이 지난해 유럽 특허 출원 1위를 기록했다. 아시아 기업으로는 처음이다. 10일 유럽특허청(EPO)에 따르면 지난해 삼성은 2251건 특허를 출원 1위를 기록했다. 지멘스•바스프(BASF)•GE가 뒤를 이었으며 LG는 1635건으로 5위였다.
아시아기업으로는 일본의 미쓰비시가 8위(1344건)였으며 중국의 ZTE도 1184건으로 10위에 올랐다. 파나소닉(1169건)과 소니(1098건)는 각각 11위와 13위다.
기술분야별 등록건수를 보면 의학분야가 전년 동기 1.6% 늘어난 1만412건으로 가장 많았다. 전기기기•장치•에너지(9799건), 디지털통신(9592건)과 컴퓨터기술(8288건) 등의 순이다. 각각 전년대비 11.4%, 20.4%, 3.3% 늘었다. 30여개 분류 가운데 디지털통신 출원 증가율이 가장 높았다.
지난해 유럽 특허출원 건수는 25만7744건이었다. 2011년 24만4934건에 비해 5.2% 늘었다. 건수 기준으로 사상최대다.
김준배기자 joon@etnews.com
**Article provided by etnews [Korea IT News]
[Reference] : http://english.etnews.com/markettrends/2732981_1278.html
