EPO Annual Report: EPO grants record number of European patents in 2016

European Patent Office press release ----- Due to effective measures to improve its productivity, the European Patent Office (EPO) published 96 000 granted patents in 2016, which is 40% more than in 2015 and a new high mark in its history. The EPO also recorded an unprecedented level of patent filings in 2016, reaching over 296 000, a rise of 6.2% (2015: 279 000). The figure is an indicator of the growing demand for patent protection from businesses worldwide. In addition, the EPO received nearly 160 000 European patent applications (files for which applicants have actually requested a European patent at the EPO), on a par with the record number reached the year before (Fig.: Growth of European patent applications). The EPO's 2016 Annual Report confirms the positive trend in patent applications over the past five years, while the levelling off in 2016 corrects an exceptional spike in applications from the US in 2015. To get more in depth information click on picture below to read the release.