Applications for invention, utility model, and design patents received by the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) have shown steady growth from 2022 to 2024, reaching a total of 72,742 applications in 2024. This figure is roughly equivalent to the number of applications in 2023. Among the filings in 2024, invention patent applications (50,823 cases) saw a slight decrease compared to 2023 but remained stable overall; utility model patent applications (14,559 cases) rebounded; and design patent applications (7,360 cases) continued to rise.
 
For applications filed by domestic applicants, the number of invention patent applications was 19,586, a slight decrease of 0.2% from 2023; and utility model patent applications totaled 13,341, showing a 0.2% increase. In terms of filings from enterprises, invention patent applications decreased by 1%, while utility model patent applications increased by 3%. Invention patent applications from academic and research institutions grew by 3% to 8%, and utility model patent applications from these institutions saw significant growth, ranging from 13% to 57%. Design patent applications amounted to 3,338, showing a 3% decrease, wherein filings from academic institutions decreased by 13%, while filings from enterprises rebounded by 5%.
 
Non-resident applicants filed 31,237 invention patent applications, showing a slight increase of 0.1%. Japan (12,307 cases) was the most prolific, followed by the United States (6,817 cases), China (3,472 cases), South Korea (3,365 cases) and Germany (1,035 cases). The filings from South Korea showed an 8% increase and reached a record high. The filings from Germany and the United States increased by 8% and 1%, respectively, while the filings from Japan and China decreased by 2% and 9%, respectively.
 
The number of design patent applications filed by non-resident applicants was 4,022, showing 4% growth. Japan (880 cases) remained at the top for design patent filings, followed by the United States (772 cases), China (755 cases), Switzerland (370 cases) and Germany (241 cases). Applications from China and Germany increased by 61% and 1%, respectively, while applications from Japan, the United States and Switzerland all saw a decline of 6%.
 
Furthermore, the TIPO has continued its efforts to improve its examination capacity, optimizing the examination system, search efficiency and staff allocation. In 2024, the average time for applicants to receive the first Office action for invention patent applications was 8.4 months, which is 0.5 months faster than in 2023, and the number of pending cases was 52,712.
 
(Translated and summarized from the Hot News announced on the website of the TIPO)