Applications from China lift Irish patent figures by 31%
The number of patent applications in Ireland increased by 31% last year to 774, according to the recently published annual report of the Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI).
The office administers the relevant legislation concerned with the processing of applications for intellectual-property rights – including patents, supplementary-protection certificates (SPCs), trademarks and industrial designs.
It is an independent statutory office under the aegis of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
‘High number’ from China
noted that the increase in national patent applications was due to “a continuing high number of applications received from China”.
The office granted 110 of the 774 national patent applications received.
It received 53 SPC applications – up 18% compared with 2023. SPCs extend patent protection for medicinal and plant-protection products by up to five years.
A total of 194,693 European patent applications designating Ireland were received by the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2024. These have the same legal status as if they had been granted by the IPOI.
Trademark applications
The number of European patent applications filed by Irish-resident companies increased by 4% last year, putting Ireland 11th in terms of European applications per million of inhabitants.
The office also received 2,336 national trademark applications – up 5.3% from 2023 – with 1,949 registered.
The IPOI received 51 national design applications, containing 109 individual designs, and 107 designs were registered by the end of the year.
The number of individual designs fell by 13%.
James Kelly (Controller of Intellectual Property) described 2024 as “a testing year” due to a significant turnover in staff at the office.
Figures ‘prompt reflection’
say that the statistics outlined in the report demonstrate Ireland’s continued importance as a hub for innovation and creativity.
They note that the growth in national patent applications was largely attributed to a continued influx of applications from overseas.
“While this international interest underscores Ireland’s relevance in the global IP landscape, it also prompts reflection on how domestic inventors are engaging with the system,” they state.
UPC system
The Pinsent Masons lawyers also note the rise in popularity of the unitary patent system highlighted in the report, with Ireland ranking 10th in uptake and showing a 33% increase in applications for unitary patents from Irish businesses.
They add, however, that Ireland is not yet fully participating in the Unified Patent Court (UPC) system, pending a constitutional referendum on the issue of ratification of the UPC Agreement.
“Ratification would mean that Irish applicants could seek a unitary patent that would protect their invention in Ireland, as well as the other 18 participating member states, and would enable them to enforce their unitary patents through a single set of proceedings at the Irish division of the UPC,” the lawyers say.