Official Statistics

Facts and figures: patents, trade marks, designs and hearings: 2023

Published 20 June 2024

Note: This document is to be used in conjunction with the data download for patent, trade mark, design and hearing data for 2023 and provides further insight for these statistics.

1. Main points

These statistics include the latest annual figures for patents, trade marks, and designs, based on IPO administrative data:

• applications: The number of applications to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for all three registered rights has increased in 2023 compared to the previous year. Patent applications increased by 2.4% between 2022 and 2023 to 19,943. Trade mark applications increased by 3.1% to 163,726 applications in 2023. Design applications increased to a record high of 81,215 applications in 2023 compared to 72,157 applications in 2022, an increase of 20.6%
• registrations and grants: A record number of designs were registered in 2023 with 77,254 registrations, an 10.2% increase. Patent grants have decreased by 20.8% between 2022 and 2023. There has also been a decrease in the number of trade marks registered in 2023 with 143,513 registrations, a decrease of 12%
• international: For patents, trade marks and designs, the highest number of non-UK applications came from China and the USA. The USA has the highest number of patent applications filed at the IPO by non-UK applicants, while China has the highest number of trade mark and design by non-UK applicants
• hearings: Cases relating to trade marks make up the largest proportion of hearings activity at the IPO. A total of 6,801 oppositions were filed in relation to trade marks (including Fast Track options) in 2023

2. Facts and figures: patents, trade marks, designs and hearings

Table 1: Summary of all registered intellectual property rights [1]

Intellectual Property Right		2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Patents[2]	Applications	20,931	19,245	20,651	18,854	19,470	19,943
	Publications	12,061	11,125	10,040	11,306	11,785	11,696
	Grants	5,982	5,948	9,772	10,899	10,576	8,374
Trade marks[3]	Applications	95,203	107,526	137,035	196,639	158,821	163,726
	Registrations	81,556	95,177	96,204	168,991	163,104	143,513
Designs	Applications	26,164	28,895	31,460	72,157	67,315	81,215
	Registrations	24,425	27,589	27,220	59,983	70,098	77,254

Notes:

[1]. Values from this table report annual counts based on a calendar year, therefore there may be differences when comparing to counts in other tables, as these may be based on a financial year

[2]. Patents filed directly at the UK IPO and Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications.

[3]. Domestic trade mark applications and International Registrations (excluding additional classes).

Patents

Between 2022 and 2023, the number of patent applications[1] to the UK IPO increased by 2.5% (from 19,485 applications to 19,966), with the number of domestic applications (17,069 applications) increasing by 2.9% and Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications (2,903 applications) increasing slightly by 0.3%. The number of patent applications has generally been lower since 2020, a trend that has also been seen in a number of the larger patent applicant countries such as France, Germany, and Japan[2]. Trends in patent filing has been researched in greater detail in The changing profile of users of the UK patent system analysis. The top 50 applicants accounted for 27.7% of all applications in 2023 [See Table 2.3a].

The number of patents published decreased slightly by 0.8% from 11,790 to 11,701 between 2022 and 2023. The overall number of patents granted decreased by 20.8% to 8,377 in the same time period. While the number of patents granted decreased, it is still the fourth highest annual number of grants at the IPO. The decrease in the number of patents granted is likely due to an internal focus on searches after the examination backlog was brought to zero. The number of domestic grants (6,296) decreased by 13.2% and PCT grants (2,081) decreased by 37.4%. The top 50 applicants with patent grants accounted for 31.2% of all applications in 2023 [See Table 2.3b].

Figure 1: Patent applications have again increased in 2023.

Source: Intellectual Property Office.

Notes:

[1]. Patents filed directly at the UK IPO and Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications.

[2]. According to World Intellectual Property Organization IP statistics.

The majority of applications to the UK IPO are from UK-based applicants. In 2023 there were 11,476 domestic applications from UK-based applicants, representing 57.5% of all applications received. From the regional breakdown of UK-based applicants there were notable increases in applications from Northern Ireland (32.7% increase with 134 applications in 2023), West Midlands (24% increase, 858 applications) and London (10.8% increase, 2,692 applications) with the largest decrease in application from Wales (decrease of 18.9%, 317 applications). The highest number of non-UK based applications came from the USA (2,650 applications, a 13.1% decrease from 2022), China (983, a 14.0% increase), and Republic of Korea (565, a 104.7% increase).

Prior to 2023, License of Right had remained relatively stable, with 1,058 licenses issued in 2022. In 2023 however the number of License of Right increased 2,045, which is a 93.3% increase [See Table 2.11]. This increase has been driven from the European Patent Office patents with UK designation which increased from 758 licenses in 2022 to 1,703 in 2023. In comparison, UK License of Right increased from 300 in 2022 to 342 in 2023.

Green Channel patents

The Green Channel for patent applications was introduced in 2009 and allows applicants to request accelerated processing of their patent application if the invention has an environmental benefit. The UK IPO received a record 560 requests in 2023 through the Green Channel, which is a 12.2% increase on the previous record in 2022 of 499 applications [See Table 2.7]. Further analyses on the current patent and trade mark landscapes relating to green technologies can be found in the recent race to net zero publication.

There have been 226 Green Channel requests which were published[1] in 2023[2], which is five more than 2022. As the publication of a patent application usually takes place 18 months from the filing or priority date, the current number of published green channel requests is a provisional count and will likely increase.

Figure 2: Green Channel requests continue to increase.

Source: Intellectual Property Office.

Notes:

[1]. According to Intellectual Property Office - Green Channel Patent Applications .

[2]. The application filing date may differ from the Green Channel patent request date.

Trade marks

In 2023, the UK IPO received a 163,726 trade mark applications[1] which is the second highest number of applications. This is a 3.1% increase compared to 2022. The number of trade mark registrations has decreased from 163,104 in 2022 to 143,513 in 2023, a decrease of 12%. However, this is still the third highest number of registrations in a calendar year behind 2021 and 2022 respectively. The significant increases seen since 2016 are believed to have been driven by three factors; a significant surge in applications from China, the COVID-19 pandemic and filings driven by the UK’s exit from the European Union. The first two reasons have seen the number of applications increase for the majority of IP offices globally[2], however the relative size of this increase is smaller in these IP offices compared to the increase in the UK, as the UK’s exit from the European Union is an extra factor in increased trade mark filings for the UK IPO.

Figure 3: Trade mark applications increase in 2023 however registrations decrease.

Source: Intellectual Property Office.

Notes:

[1]. Domestic trade mark applications and International Registrations (excluding additional classes).

[2]. According to World Intellectual Property Organization IP statistics.

In 2023, 85,845 trade mark applications were filed directly with the UK IPO (domestic applications) from UK-based applicants, which represents an increase of 7.3% compared to 2022. This represents 52.4% of all trade marks filed to the IPO in 2023. Applications filed in 2023 from UK-based applicants increased across every region, notably in Northern Ireland (a 46.1% increase to 1,335 applications in 2023) and Yorkshire (16.6% increase, 5,184 applications). 46,121 direct applications to the IPO were from non-UK-based applicants, which is a 4.5% increase from 2022. In addition, there were 31,759 trade mark applications through the International Registration (IR) route, an 8.5% decrease.

Similar to 2022, the highest number of non-UK based applications in 2023 (both domestic and IR) came from China with 24,923 applications (23,133 domestic and 1,790 IR) which is a 14.2% increase compared to 2022. The second highest number of non-UK based applications came from the USA with 15,830 applications (8,129 domestic and 7,701 IR), a 12.8% decrease. Trade mark applications from China and the USA account for 52.3% of all non-UK-based applications and nearly 25% of all applications to the IPO in 2023.

Registered trade marks provide protection within different classes of goods and services. For example, in the UK, the word ‘Polo’ is protected simultaneously by different applicants in relation to different goods: a type of mint, a clothing brand and a model of car. The total number of classes in all applications in 2023 was 351,638 (271,025 domestic and 80,613 IR), a decrease of 1.5 from 2022. This decrease was driven by a decrease in the number of classes filed IR applications which was down by 10.7%, where the number of classes applied for in domestic applications increased slightly by 1.6%.

Designs

Design applications to the IPO have seen a dramatic increase since 2015, with the number of applications growing 1154.9% between 2015 and 2023. The process of applying for registered design protection with the UK IPO has changed in recent years, with a new fee structure coming into force in October 2016 and an online application form in October 2017. These changes were intended to make the process more straightforward and cost-effective for applicants and are likely to have contributed to increased filing activity. As of May 2018, the UK became a member of the Hague Agreement for International Registrations. These figures,15,053 international applications for 2023, are included within this publication, which accounts for a portion of the applications and registrations shown.

Figure 4: Design applications and registrations increase to record highs.

Source: Intellectual Property Office.

Notes:

[1]. Designs registrations includes the international Hague applications and registrations. This is a route for applying for designs through World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which the UK joined in 2018. This allows for a single international application filed with WIPO rather than a whole series of applications which would otherwise have to be filed with different national offices.

Both design applications and registrations increased to record high counts in 2023. Designs applications have increased by 20.6% between 2022 and 2023, from 67,315 to 81,215. 35,469 design applications to the IPO were from UK-based applicants which accounted for 43.7% of all design applications in 2023. The number of applications by UK-based applicants has increased by 23.8% between 2022 and 2023. Some regions of the UK saw a substantial increase in Design filings such as the East Midlands (91.8% increase to 1,281 applications filed), Scotland (71.2% increase, 1,767 applications) and the East of England (50.3% increase, 5,068 applications)

There has also been a fall in applications by international (non-UK) applicants, with 45,746 applications in 2023, which is a 18.3% increase from 38,669 in 2022. Similar to previous years, over half (55.1%) of applications from international countries in 2023 were from either China or the USA (15,358 and 9,857 respectively) with the number of applications both countries increasing by 43.0% and 1.8% respectively compared to 2022. Another notable increase in design applications is from India which increased from 103 applications in 2022 to 1,936 in 2023.

The number of registrations increased from 70,098 to a record high of 77,254 in 2023, an increase of 10.2%, much of this increase is due increased applications from UK-based applicants as well as India and China.

Hearings

In addition to processing and examining applications for intellectual property rights, the UK IPO also facilitates the resolution of IP disputes through hearings and tribunals. The UK IPO’s facilitation of hearings means that cases can be processed faster and gives businesses a more affordable dispute option than seeking redress through the courts. Cases relating to trade marks make up the largest proportion of hearings activity at the UK IPO. There was a total of 6,801 oppositions filed (an decrease from 8,827 in 2022) in relation to trade marks in 2023 (including Fast Track oppositions) and 848 ex parte hearings taken to challenge examiners’ objections to trade marks.

3. Facts and figures: patent, trade mark, design and hearing data

The full dataset which contains further breakdowns of these data is available to download in the dataset released 20th June 2023.

4. Glossary

Patents

A patent protects inventions. It gives the right to take legal action against anyone who makes, uses, sells or imports it without the patent holder’s permission. To be granted a patent, the invention must be all of the following: something that can be made or used, new, and inventive - not just a simple modification to something that already exists. Patent cannot be granted for certain types of invention, including:

• literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works
• a way of doing business, playing a game or thinking
• a method of medical treatment or diagnosis
• a discovery, scientific theory or mathematical method
• the way information is presented
• some computer programs or mobile apps
• ‘essentially biological’ processes like crossing-breeding plants, and plant or animal varieties

Application

An application for a patent includes a full description of the invention (including any drawings), a set of claims defining the invention, and a short abstract summarising the technical features of the invention.

Search

The IPO carries out a search to check whether the invention is new and inventive. The results of the search and any defects in the application are reported. Search reports can take up to 6 months.

Publication

Applications are published 18 months from filing or priority date, provided they are complete and pass the search.

Substantive examination

The examination checks whether an invention is new and inventive enough. It also checks that the description and claims match and are good enough to patent. The examination will show if an application meets the legal requirements. Examination of a patent application must be requested within 6 months of publication. Examinations can take place several years after the filing date of an application.

European patent protection

European patents (EP) can also provide protection in the UK. Applications can be made through the IPO or directly to the European Patent Office (EPO). Once granted an application becomes separate patents in the countries designated.

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)

Patents providing protection in the UK may also be received by the IPO through the international route. International applications use the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) to pursue patent rights across many countries from a single filing.

Licenses of Right

Some patent applicants may wish to let other people licence their patent, usually for a fee, and make this known publicly. These granted patents (both UK and EP(designating UK)) are recorded on a register and the applicant is entitled to pay renewal fees at half the normal rate.

Trade mark

A trade mark is a sign which can distinguish goods and services from those of other traders. A sign includes, for example, words, logos, colours or a combination of these. A trade mark can be used as a marketing tool so that customers recognise products or services.

Trade marks are not granted for words, logos, colours or other signs which are unlikely to be seen as a trade mark by the public. For example, marks which describe goods or services or any characteristics of them (e.g. marks which show the quality, quantity, purpose, value or geographical origin of goods or services); terms that have become customary (e.g. technical terms that are in common use); terms that are not distinctive (e.g. promotional advertising slogans); or a combination of these.

Trade marks will not be granted if they are offensive (e.g. taboo swear words), against the law (e.g. promoting illegal drug use), or deceptive (e.g. there should be nothing in your mark which would mislead the public). In addition, IPO will object to marks that contain specially protected emblems (e.g. the Red Cross or Olympic symbols). To be registrable, a trade mark must be distinctive for the goods and services that are applied for registration.

Design

A registered design protects the visual appearance of a product, part of a product, or its ornamentation. This can also apply to an industrial or handicraft item. This IP right gives no protection for how a product works but merely for its appearance. That appearance can be affected by a number of contributory features including: lines, contours, colours, shape, texture, material. The protection lasts for five years and can be renewed every five years, for up to 25 years.

Hearings

A hearing is an open attendance before a Hearing Officer at the IPO, which is normally open to the public. An ex parte hearing is the name given to hearings held between a single party (either private individuals or firms) and the IPO. An ex parte hearing is a way of taking things forward with a patent, trade mark or design application or granted application. It allows the IP right holder to explain their case in person to a ‘hearing officer’. The hearing officer is trained to be independent and to look at all sides of the arguments and make the final decision about the case.

Opposition

An opposition is the procedure where a third party may formally object to an application for registration of a trade mark.

For a further glossary of terms relating to trade mark hearings, please see this guidance.

5. Data

Data source

The statistics in this release are produced using administrative data from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), covering various aspects of IPO business. For patents, trade marks, and designs, snapshots of administrative databases for the calendar year 2023 were taken in April 2024. Data relating to hearings activity are provided directly by the relevant teams within the IPO. Due to the cessation of collection internally of some data points, certain tables and data points relating to Hearings have been removed from this publication.

Coverage

Patent protection in the UK can also be obtained from the European Patent Office (EPO). Prior to 2021, trade mark and design protection was also available through the EU Intellectual Property Office EUIPO (trade marks and designs) are not covered in this publication and as such, the statistics in this publication do not represent all intellectual property activity in the UK. While all EPO applications are automatically designated to the UK, applicants have the option to specify otherwise. Statistics to the coverage of EPO patents to the UK may presently be inferred using data on fees [see table 2.5 in the data download] and using experimental statistics.

6. Strengths and limitations

It is important to note that the IPO’s data is collected for business purposes, not statistical purposes, and it is therefore subject to a number of limitations from a statistical perspective.

Intellectual property (IP) statistics should not be used alone to describe the level of innovation in the UK, or as a measure of inventorship. See the patent guide, or the trade mark guide for information on the limitations of using patents and trade marks as proxies for measuring innovation.

Accuracy of the statistics

Administrative data at the IPO are generated through receipt of forms to the office, which can be filed online or in paper format. To compile statistics on the three registered intellectual property rights (patents, trade marks and designs), data are extracted from the relevant databases. The extraction of data is not performed immediately at the close of the calendar year but is delayed allowing for any necessary retrospective amendments to be made in the databases. This ensures that the statistics presented in this release have a higher level of accuracy.

Name consistency

Applicants are free to write their name as they choose, which can lead to variation over multiple applications. For example, one individual may write “Limited” as part of the company name on whose behalf they are applying, while another individual may use the abbreviation “Ltd.” on a later application for the same company. We therefore use probabilistic matching to produce the “Top 50” and “Top 10” tables in this release, aiming to group all variations of a company name together.

Address consistency

Applicants are free to write their address as they choose, which can lead to variation over multiple applications in a similar manner to names (please see above). The address listed on application may not represent the location of where the IP was generated. For example, a patent for a product invented in one location may be filed under a company headquarters address in a completely different location (which could be in a different country). Address data on trade mark and design applications represents the current address the rights owner wishes to use for correspondence. This may not be the address that the application was originally filed under.

“Rejected” patent applications

The IPO does not formally issue decisions rejecting patent applications. Furthermore, we do not associate withdrawals or abandonment with specific decisions. Applications that do not become granted patents include applications which had outstanding objections at expiry of the compliance period, applications withdrawn, and applications abandoned.

IP timelines

The applications granted/registered in a given calendar year often refer to applications filed in a previous year. It is therefore not possible to use the number of applications filed in 2018 and the number of grants/registrations in 2018 to calculate the proportion of “successful” applications.

Applicants’ characteristics

It is not a requirement for applicants to provide information such as sex, ethnicity, or disability status in order to obtain intellectual property rights, and these questions are not asked on our forms. We cannot provide statistics on the diversity of applicants; however, the IPO has published research into the gender of patent applicants using name-gender inference.

The IPO is responsible for copyright legislation in the UK but does not produce statistics on this intellectual property right as there is no copyright register. For further information, access the copyright page.

7. Related links

Monthly statistics: Patents, trade marks and designs: April 2024

Official Statistics | Released 30th May 2024
The statistics in this release provide factual information relating to monthly applications and registrations of intellectual property registered rights (patents, trade marks, and designs)

2022 Facts and figures: patents, trade marks, designs and hearings

Official Statistics | Released 28th July 2023
These statistics include annual data for designs, patents, trade marks and hearings for 2022, based on administrative data.

Trends at UK Intellectual Property Office 1995 to 2017

Official Statistics | Released 13 July 2018
A report on the trends of patent, trade mark and design applications, publications and grants at the IPO over 1995 to 2017.

The changing profile of users of the UK patent system

Official Statistics | Released 9th August 2021
This paper forms part of the IPO’s research into the drivers of IP demand. This research paper focuses on the changing profile of users of the UK patent system.

We are seeking feedback

We are always looking to improve our release for these statistics and datasets. Feedback on this release is welcomed at statistics@ipo.gov.uk.