world intellectual property organization an overview - WIPO

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DELIVERING SERVICES ONLINE
Users of the PCT system increasingly take advantage of
electronic filing software for the preparation and filing of PCT International Applications. In 2006, more than half of all
PCT applications were filed entirely or partly in electronic form.
In order to keep the PCT running, WIPO needs to communicate and exchange documents with more than 100 PCT receiving
offices, 12 international search and examining authorities and approximately 110 designated offices. These communications
increasingly take place in electronic form and PCT applications are processed electronically end-to-end by WIPO.
WIPO’s PatentScope Search facility provides free and easy access to the 1.3 million patent applications that have been
disclosed through the PCT system since 1978. These patent applications are a unique record of technological progress of
the last 30 years and contain information of important business and economic value.
2006-2007
137 countries were members of the
PCT by mid 2007. The PCT will
have processed, translated and
published in excess of 157,000
international applications by the
end of 2007. Applications are
expected to continue to grow
by 5 percent next year.
In 2006, the top countries of origin
for PCT applications were again the
U.S., Japan and Germany. The
Republic of Korea overtook the
U.K. to become the fifth biggest
country filer. Applications from
China grew by 56.8 percent.
The greatest number of PCT
applications published in 2006 was
in telecommunications,
pharmaceuticals, and information
technology. The fastest growing
technology areas were
semiconductors (28% increase),
information technology (22%) and
pharmaceuticals (21%).