Under the global threat of Covid-19, Taiwan saw a slight (3%) reduction in patent applications in 2020. That was mainly caused by a significant decrease of non-residents’ applications, 2000 plus cases less than the previous year. Applications filed by residents also dropped by 1%; but the case number for inventions still grew to the highest level since 2014. Among local applicants, SMEs and universities made an impressive 17% and 16% annual growth in patent filings.
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According to the annual report newly released by TIPO (Taiwan Intellectual Property Office), there were 41,991 requests for substantive examination of invention patent applications and 39,528 disposals of them in 2018. The yearly average disposal pendency was down to 14 months for invention patents and 8.7 months for a first office action. Both have hit a ten-year low and outperformed the current records in the US and the EU.
As for design patent applications, the average pendency for a first office action and for disposal were 6.1 months and 7.4 months respectively, showing a stable trend.
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According to newly released government statistics in Taiwan, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) has been ranked No. 1 in residents’ patent applications with 944 cases, for three straight years since 2016, and No.1 in residents’ patent grants with 430 patents for the first time in 2018. As for non-residents’ patent activities, Qualcomm Inc took the first place with 1,011 applications and SEL (Semiconductor Energy Labor) with 474 grants.
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