Patent Landscape Report on Ritonavir - WIPO

Figure 1 below describes patenting activity over time . The graph presents the number ofpatent families (Y axis) over the earliest filing (priority) year (X axis). This year was chosenrather than the publication year, as this is more indicative of patenting activities since theyare less dependent on the varying publication policies and docket backlogs of patent offices.The graph shows a large increase in filings up to 1999, and then a second spike up to 2006.The reduction after 2006 may be attributed to typical lags between a first earliest priority filing,often in the form of a provisional application and the first published application of thepatent or application depending from that earliest filing. Additionally, this lag may be due tothe maturity of the Ritonavir market and possibly the worldwide economic recession. Thisreduction was another general trend for patent publications in other areas of technology.Label1Figure 1: <strong>Patent</strong>ing Activity - <strong>Patent</strong> Families over Earliest Filing Year (Priority Year)