Over one million patent applications have been filed by the Chinese population to obtain recognition for their original work. The figures recorded in 2015 have broken all prior records with one nation filing so many applications in a year.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released its annual report in which it revealed the number of applications filed by the Chinese for obtaining patent rights on their masterpieces. The regulatory body declared the figures as unexpected and extraordinary. The patent applications that have been filed include new ideas and innovations in the niches that included computing, telecoms, medical tech and semiconductors.
BBC stated that despite such a huge enhancement in the number of patent applications, Beijing seems to ask companies for even more filings. There are several analysts who have raised concerns over the nation's inventive character as most of the applications have been filed locally.
As far as the number of patent applications filed globally is concerned, around 2.9 million people have applied for acquiring rights on their work in 2015. The figure recorded was more than 2014 by 7.8 percent. Of the total number of applications, according to WIPO, the filing that came from the mainland was recorded at 1,010,406.
The total number of patent applications from China is confined to the innovators of China only. In fact, there are several foreign investors living in the country who have applied for patents, as well. It is not the first time China tops the list of nations with maximum people applying for patents. The scenario was similar in 2014.
"While China continues to drive global increases, IP use grew in most countries in 2015, reflecting its increasing importance in a globalized knowledge economy," WIPO director general Francis Gurry said. He also appreciated the overall growth in patent applications.
Following China, the United States grabbed the second position as far as the number of patent applications filed by people from America in 2015 is concerned. It received 526,000. Japan acquired the third place with 455,000 applications.