Total European patent filings
Direct European filings under the EPC and international filings under the PCT
Patent filings at the EPO grew for the third year in a row in 2012, reaching a new record level. Filing volumes from Europe and the US increased moderately, whereas filings from China, Japan and Korea continued to grow at a fast pace and accounted for almost 60% of the increase in filings between 2011 and 2012.
Five-year trend
Total European patent filings1
1 Direct European filings under the EPC and International filings under the PCT