China Passes US in Global Patent Race: WIPO

The World Intellectual Property Organization reports that China filed more applications for international patents in 2019, surpassing the United States, which held the lead since the organization began in 1978: China filed 58,990 applications, and the United States filed 57,840. The organization received more than 265,000 applications, most from Asia. Patents signal innovation, economic strength, and technological and manufacturing prowess. Francis Gurry, head of the UN agency, explained that China has deliberate strategies to pursue innovation. Huawei Technologies, a company targeted by the United States as a security risk, was the top corporate patent applicant for the third year in the row. China's success could prompt other countries to weigh the value of industrial policies and subsidies. Gurry concludes that innovation in any industry benefits the world. The US applicants filed more trademark applications followed by Germany, China and France. – YaleGlobal