In 2023, TIPO received 72,607 patent applications, an increase of 1% from the previous year. Among these, invention patents reached an 11-year high with 50,854 applications (up 1%), utility model patents saw a slight decrease to 14,466 applications (down 1%), and design patents reversed trajectory by rising 2% to 7,287 applications. Trademark registration applications decreased 3% to a total of 91,535. Average first-action pendency for invention patents was 8.9 months, and 6.2 months for trademarks.

Among resident applicants, invention patent applications increased by 1% to 19,634, primarily due to a 4% increase in corporate applications. Utility model patent applications decreased by 3% to 13,309, while design patent applications broke a six-year decline, increasing by 1% to 3,437. The turnaround was driven by an increase in applications from schools and individuals.

Non-resident applicants set a new record with 31,220 invention patent applications (up 1%), 1,157 utility model patents (up 17%), and 3,850 design patents (up 3%).

Trademark registration applications in Taiwan decreased by 3% to 91,535 (114,680 classes, down 6%), returning to pre-pandemic levels of 2019. The main reasons are applications from resident applicants dropped by 3% to 71,960, while non-resident applicants also saw a decrease of 4% to 19,575.

Among domestic corporations, Uni-President led with 583 applications for the fourth consecutive year, followed by Taishin Bank (454), and Che Tai International (163). Among foreign corporations, Tencent Holdings from the Cayman Islands led with 118 applications, followed by International Foodstuffs (93) from the UAE, and then L' Oreal (90) from France.

For resident trademark applications, the most popular class was Class 35 (Advertising, Business Management, and Retail Wholesale Services) with 14,477 applications, followed by Class 43 (Restaurant and Accommodation Services) with 7,187 applications, and Class 30 (Coffee, Tea, and Pastries) with 6,390 applications. Except for Class 43 (Restaurant and Accommodation Services) and Class 25 (Clothing and Footwear) with 2,896 applications, which held steady, the top ten classes all experienced decreases ranging from 2.4% to 12.6%.

For non-resident applicants, Class 9 (Computers and Technology Products) had the most applications with 3,910. Except for Class 30 (Coffee, Tea, and Pastries), which grew by 6.7% to 1,116 applications, the top ten classes all saw decreases ranging from 2.1% to 23.5%.

TIPO was able to maintain examination quality and timeliness throughout 2023, as the average first-action pendency for invention patents remained stable at 8.9 months. Administrative efficiency will help businesses secure the rights to continue their expansions. Average first-action pendency for trademarks increased a full month to 6.2 months. This is due to the fact that application numbers have been growing for eight consecutive years, and the fact that TIPO has limited manpower for examination. However, TIPO still maintained a high conclusion rate of 90,043 cases, accounting for 98.37% of the applications for the year.

• Publish Date : 2024-03-20
• Update : 2024-03-20
• Organization : International Legal Affairs Office
• Visitors : 69