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[1] Source of the data of WIPO: http://ipstats.wipo.int/ipstatv2/searchForm

[2] Source of the data of EPO: http://www.epo.org/about-us/annual-reports-statistics/annual-report/2014.html

[3] Source of the data on international (under the Madrid system) trade mark applications: http://www.wipo.int/madrid/en/statistics/annual_stats.jsp?type=EN&name=3

The Hungarian applicants have the possibility to file their applications initiated under international or regional cooperation through the HIPO. In 2014 they filed 129 PCT applications (at the same time European patent applications), 11 European patent applications, 25 Community and 276 international trade mark applications this way.

                                                                 Main figures of the activities of Hungarian applicants abroad (2010-2014) 

The number of protections valid in Hungary, which should be taken into account by Hungarian organisations in their research and development and economic activities, increased almost in every title of protection. Due to the increase of the number of European patents valid in Hungary, the number of valid patents grew above 20 thousand. A significant increase can be observed in respect of every title of Community industrial property protections.

PATENT ACTIVITY

The number of international patent (PCT) applications was more than 213 thousand in 2014, which may result requests for extension to the territory of Hungary in a later phase of the procedure, when entering the national phase. The number of actual national requests deriving from earlier PCT designations was 31 in 2014. Since Hungary’s accession to the European Patent Convention in 2003 foreign patent applicants have submitted their increasing requests for validating their European patents in Hungary rather by choosing the European route. The number of these requests was around 3000 (3323), similarly to the previous years. This sudden stop of the continuous increase observed in the previous years may be explained by the waiting attitude of the applicants due to the introduction of the European patent with unitary effect expected in 2016.

                 Main figures of patent cases aimed at Hungary and filed following the national route –  from Hungary and directly from abroad – under

                                                                                  international cooperations  (2010-2014) 

The number of patent applications filed following the national route was 619 in 2014, which means a 12% decrease compared to the previous year. The application activity of domestic customers touched the lowest point; it declined by 15% compared to 2013. This was caused by, besides the well-known low IP awareness, especially the failure in announcing the R&D tenders and the tenders to support IP protection. Although, the number of PCT applications that entered into the national phase was rather low, their number increased again (from 7 to 31). 66% of the applications filed following the national route belonged to individuals, 34% of them to institutions. It is an unfavourable phenomenon that the number of domestic patent applications filed by institutions diminished by a further 9% compared to the previous year; it was only 185, which is unacceptably low.

Breakdown of applicants filing applications for the validation of European patents in Hungary by countries of origin (2014)

 Sweden, Belgium, Austria, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, France, Switzerland, United States of America, Germany

Most of the right holders filing applications for the validation of their European patents in Hungary had their place of business in Germany (22.5%) and in the USA (21.6%).

At the end of 2014 the number of patents valid in Hungary exceeded twenty thousand/20 000 for the first time since 1991. The number of valid patents increased by almost 7% in 2014, which is due to a more than 13% growth in the number of valid European patents. The amount of patents granted following the national route was 4695, that of the valid European patents was 15 731. The number of valid European patents has increased by 2.5 times in the past six years, which is more than three times larger than the number of valid patents granted following the national route.  The ratio of Hungarian right holders – with 943 patents – is 4.6%.

                                                                              Number of patents valid in Hungary (2010-2014) 

Regarding the technical fields, at the end of 2014 – similarly to the previous year – the pharmaceutical patents were in the lead; both with respect to patents granted following the national route, and the validated European patents this technical field headed the list: 15% of all valid patents in Hungary concentrated on this field. This was followed by other machinery with a 4.6% ratio and chemistry (without pharmaceuticals) with 3.5%.

PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION

In 2014 the HIPO received 30 new applications for plant variety protection. At the end of last year 97 such protections were valid. Last year the Community Plant Variety Office received 3626 Community applications for plant variety protection, which is more by 10% than in the previous year. At the end of last year more than 22 thousand Community protections were valid.

SUPPLEMENTARY PROTECTION CERTIFICATE

A Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) extends the term of patents of medicinal or plant protection products.  In 2014 the HIPO received 60 new applications for SPC. At the end of the year 145 such protections were valid. Out of this, in 78 cases the SPC, while in 67 cases still the basis patent was valid. 30% of the SPCs valid at the end of the year were granted in 2014.