Robotics and 3D Printing Patents Dominated by Japan and the US

A recent report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) shows that Japan and the US are at the head of the group of nations leading the way in 3D printing and other breakthrough technologies.  The report, ‘World Intellectual Property Report 2015: Breakthrough Innovation and Economic Growth’, examines three current innovative technologies against a background of 200 years of technological innovation.

IP Growth in New Technologies

The three technologies considered by the report are: 3D printing, nanotechnology and robotics.  In these three areas, the report found that just six countries – Japan, the US, Germany, France, the UK and South Korea – have accounted for 75% of world patent filings in the past 20 years.

Key findings include:

• Japan has eight of the top ten patent applicants in the robotics field.
• Companies in the US filed the most patents for both nanotechnology and 3D printing, with long-standing innovators like IBM and HP included in the list of top filers.
• Samsung, a South Korean company, filed the largest number of patents for nanotechnology, with over 2,500 applications.

When looking at patents filed in the past 10 years, however, Chinese applicants account for over 25% of patent applications in 3D printing and robotics, and almost 15% in nanotechnology.

Another of the report’s conclusions is that the technologies in all these fields are still quite young, and many are still awaiting the right commercial application.

Cutting-edge Advice from SH&P

At SH&P, our experienced patent and trade mark attorneys deal with cutting-edge technology on a daily basis.  We work closely with clients to understand their innovations so that they can be appropriately protected, taking into account the long-term goals of the business, research body or individual concerned.

To find out more about our services in this area, make an appointment with us today.  Your initial consultation is completely free.