18 MAY 2021 - IP SPOTLIGHT

KEY RESULTS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY REPORT FOR 2020

In 2020, the US remained the major source for patent applications, with US applicants named on 45 per cent of all foreign applications in Australia.

Fig 3: Top 5 Foreign Counties of Origin for Standrd Patent Applicantions in 2020

2020 was a year like no other, but in the midst of it all there was a great deal happening in the Australian intellectual property space, as shown by IP Australia’s Australian Intellectual Property Report for 2020. In 2020, trade mark applications in Australia soared whilst Australian standard patents dipped by 2%. The number of information and communication technologies patent filings in Australia and the PCT route reflect the global trend of increased investment in consumer technology.

PATENT F I L I NGS I N 2020 Overall, IP Australia received 29,293 standard patent applications, including divisional applications, a 2% fall from 2019. International patent applicants were responsible for 92% of the total applications filed in Australia with Australian residents responsible for just 8% of total filings in 2020. The top 5 international applicants filing into Australia originate from the information and communication technologies sector (See Figure 1). This is consistent with the number of PCT applications filed in 2020 with China-based telecoms giant Huawei Technologies coming in as the top PCT filer in 2020 with 5,464 published PCT applications and the computer technology and digital communication sectors accounting for 17.5% of published PCT applications in 2020.

13,122

236

231

194

161

TRADE MARK FILINGS IN 2020

In 2020, a total of 81,702 trade mark applications were filed in Australia, an increase of 8% from 2019.

International trade mark applicants were responsible for 37% of the total applications filed in Australia with Australian residents responsible for 63% of total trade mark filings in 2020. These numbers also reflect the top Madrid filers in 2020 with Novartis in first place followed by Huawei Technologies. 2

Fig 4: Top 5 International Trade Mark Applicants in 2020

Fig 5: Top 5 International Trade Mark Applicants in 2020

144

Bluescope Steel 215

Novartis AG

186

70

Australia Blue Moon Hero 125

Fig 1: Top 5 International Patent Applications in 2020

Fig 2: Top 5 Domestic Patent Applicants Filing into Australia in 2020

Huawei Technologies

Amazon Technologies

Aristocrat Technologies Australia 119

Coles Group 105

Apple 103

236

Aristocrat Technologies 99

Pinnacle Liquor Group 96

LG Electronics

69

435

Johnson & Johnson

CSIRO 48

Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications

231

0

50

100

150

200

250

Huawei Technologies

Breville 24

The University of Sydney 20 Monash University 18

LOUISA KING IP Search Expert

194

161

Apple

Qualcom

0

20

40

60

80

100

8 | wrays.com.au

wrays.com.au | 9