Definition: A patent application is the formal request for IP rights at an IP office, whereupon the office examines the application and decides whether to grant or refuse protection. Application also refers to a set of documents submitted to an office by the applicant. A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by law to applicants for inventions that are new, non-obvious and commercially applicable. It is valid for a limited period of time (generally 20 years), during which patent holders can commercially exploit their inventions on an exclusive basis. The breakdown by applicant’s origin includes applications in national and regional patent offices.
Unit: per million inhabitants
Data source: WIPO Statistics Database
Link to the key table: Patent applications, residents (international comparison)