While worldwide, the number of patent applications has been growing at a rate of about 4.7%, the rate of growth in China and South Korea has been several times higher, according to WIPO's 2007 report. Since 1995, South Korea the number of applications has doubled and the number of Chinese applications have increased eightfold. Though the United States and Japan are still in the lead, China has now overtaken Europe as to the total number of applications filed per year. European patent attorneys, however, cite Chinese piracy as the reason behind fewer applications; as the details of an application are published 18 months after filing, Chinese competitors use the information therein to rush copycat products to market, leading European companies to register fewer patents.
Increase in East Asian patent filings outpaces rest of world
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