Patents Stats 2014 (Infographic)

If you are thinking about filing for a patent in the new year, it is important to take a look back at patent stats from 2014 to better understand certain aspects such as how long you might be waiting for a patent, and to what industries the most patents going. After gathering data from the USPTO, we have constructed an infographic to enable you to quickly understand everything that is happening in the world of patents.

In 2014, the largest player in the patent industry was, by no surprise, the tech giant IBM with 6,737 issued patents, closely followed by fellow tech companies, Samsung, Canon, Sony, and Microsoft. In terms of a waiting period, the average time it took for a patent to reach completion was 27.4 months, however, this number varied by industry due to the complex nature of the patents. The shortest waiting time was seen within the biotech industry at 26.2 months, and the longest was software and information security at 31.7 months.

Among the 329,000 total patents issued, plant patents experienced the greatest surge with a 20% increase from the previous year. Utility patents closely followed with a 14% increase from 2013, and design patents experienced a 7% increase. Of the total issued, the majority went to large entities while the remainder (~20%) went to small entity and micro entity companies. Within the US, the states granted the most patents were also states that boast large technology sectors and startup communities. These states included California with 44,147 patents, which was by far the highest amount, followed by Texas, New York, Washington, and Massachusetts.

Through the data gathered, it is easy to see that more and more people are seeking patents to protect their intellectual property. Legal security is no longer reserved solely for the IBMs of the world. There are now affordable ways for small companies and even independent inventors to protect their innovative ideas.

For the full infographic visit Entrepreneur.com/article/232903

If you are interested in more detail related to your situation it is best to speak with an attorney.