Remote Patent Application Interviews Available March 1, 2022
An effective interview can expedite the patent examination process. However, applicants may not always be available to be interviewed at TIPO in person or join video interviews at TIPO service centers. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has thus amended the sixth point of the "Operation Directions of TIPO, MOEA for Patent Interviews" and implemented the new measure of Remote Video Interviews for Patent Applications on March 1, 2022.
Top 100 Patent Applicants in 2021
According to TIPO’s 2021 Statistical Rankings for Patent Applications and Grants, TSMC was the top domestic applicant for invention, utility model, and design patents, with 1,950 applications filed. The company has held on to its lead for the sixth consecutive year now. As for foreign applicants, Qualcomm claimed the top spot for the second year in a row, having filed a total of 845 applications. With respect to the number of patents granted for all three patent types, TSMC led the pack for domestic applications (1,053 patents granted), and Applied Materials was the most successful foreign applicant (492 patents granted). Invention patent applications by domestic corporations and research institutions of the top 100 went up by 17% and 11% respectively.
TIPO Statistics Report: Patent and Trademark Applications in 2021
In 2021, overall patent applications increased by 1% to 72,613 cases. Of these, invention patent applications (49,116 cases) grew by 5%, while utility model (15,796 cases) and design patent applications (7,701 cases) decreased by 10% and 4% respectively. For trademark applications, 95,917 cases were filed—the highest number recorded ever since TIPO was founded in 1999. As to examination efficiency, the average disposal pendency was 14.0 months for invention patent applications and decreased to 6.2 months for trademark applications.
Olympics Shows China's IPR Protection
The 2022 Winter Olympic Games has provided China with an opportunity to demonstrate to the world its commitment to protect intellectual property. To begin with, China has promoted the licensed sale of Olympic souvenirs. Additionally, Olympics broadcast rights have been protected to ensure that the rights of those paying for them are respected.
TIPO Introduces Green Patent Revisions to Accelerated Examination Program on January 1, 2022
TIPO’s revisions for green patents to the Accelerate Examination Program (AEP) took effect on January 1, 2022. These revisions were made in an effort to promote research, development and commercialization of green patents in Taiwan. On January 1, 2014, TIPO added Inventions Related to Green Energy Technologies (Condition 4) to the AEP. As of July of 2021, 255 AEP requests have been filed for green technology patents, accounting for 2.74% of all AEP requests. Taiwan applicants filed a majority - up to 88% - of all green patent AEP requests, and the top three fields of technology are solar energy, LED lighting and lithium-ion battery technologies.
