Taiwan IP Updates  ¡V December 2024

By Lyndon 

¡@

Taiwan Intellectual Property Releases 2023 Trends and Comparisons

The recently released report focuses on Taiwan Invention Patent Applications and WIPO PCT Applications.  In 2023, WIPO received an estimated 272,600 PCT invention patent applications, a 1.8% year on year decrease, ending a 13-year growth streak.  In contrast, TIPO received 50,854 applications, marking a 1.2% increase.  In 2023, the top three technical fields for WIPO applications were Computer Technology (10.2%), followed by Digital Communication (9.4%) and Electrical Machinery, Apparatus, and Energy (7.9%).  For TIPO, the top field was Semiconductors (15.0%), followed by Computer Technology (9.1%) and Electrical Machinery, Apparatus and Energy (6.1%).  Regarding the primary countries and their focus areas under WIPO patent filings, China had the highest share in Digital Communication (15.6%) while the United States focused most heavily on Computer Technology (12.9%).  Japan (11.3%) and Germany (11.8%) predominantly filed in the field of Electrical Machinery, Apparatus, and Energy, whereas South Korea showed a similar focus on Electrical Machinery, Apparatus, and Energy and Digital Communication (both at 11.2%).  In comparison, Taiwan, China, the US, Japan, and South Korea all ranked Semiconductors as the top field under TIPO filings, with shares ranging from 12.5% to 25.7%.  Under WIPO patent publications, China’s Huawei ranked first for the seventh consecutive year with 6,494 applications, followed by South Korea’s Samsung Electronics (3,924 applications) and the United States’ Qualcomm (3,410 applications).  For TIPO patent publications, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) took the top spot for the fifth consecutive year with 1,582 applications, followed by Applied Materials (794 applications) from the US, Samsung Electronics (747 applications) from South Korea, and Qualcomm (695 applications) from the US.  For WIPO, six of the top 10 applicants, including Huawei, focused most heavily on the Digital Communication field.  Huawei, in particular, allocated 41.8% of its filings to Digital Communication, followed by Computer Technology (22.7%) and Telecommunications (9.5%), comprising a combined share of 74.0%.  Under TIPO, six of the top applicants, including TSMC, concentrated on Semiconductors, with TSMC allocating the largest proportion at 78.1%.

TIPO Announces Changes to Online Services

To facilitate changes for patent and trademark applicants and to reduce the need for administrative correspondence between applicants and TIPO, TIPO has expanded the online services available through TIPONet.  Started on October 15, 2024, applicants can now use the platform to change their representatives.  After logging in to TIPONet, applicants or their patent agent can select the Applying for a patent/Changing online feature to modify basic case information, including:

1. The name of the applicant’s representative in Chinese and English.
2. The applicant and his or her patent agent’s address in Chinese and English, phone number and email address.