Chapter 6: Science & Engineering Indicators 93

PATENTED INVENTIONS

The number of U.S. patents granted to Americans has been increasing since 1983. Patent activity by foreign inventors in the United States generally followed the U.S. trend, although the number of foreign-origin patents granted declined somewhat slower during 1976-83 and increased somewhat faster after 1983. (For more information see: Patented Inventions and Patents Granted to Americans.)
Foreign patenting in the United States is highly concentrated by country of origin. Inventors from the European Community and Japan account for 80 percent of all foreign-origin U.S. patents. Newly industrialized economies, notably Taiwan and South Korea, dramatically increased their patent activity in the United States during the last half of the 1980s. (For more information see: Patents Granted to Foreign Inventors.)
Recent patent emphases by foreign inventors in the United States show widespread international focus on several commercially important technologies. Japanese inventors are earning patents in information technology, as are German inventors, who-along with French and British inventors-are also showing high activity in biotechnology-related patent fields. Inventors from Taiwan and South Korea are earning an increasing number of U.S. patents in technology fields related to communications and electronic componentry. (For more information see: Patents by Patent Office Classes, Fields Favored by U.S., Japanese, and German Inventors, Fields Favored by Other Major Industrialized Countries and Fields Favored by Newly Industrialized Economies.)
Americans successfully patent their inventions around the world. In 1990, countries in which U.S. inventors received more patents than other foreign inventors included Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and India. (For more information see: Patenting Outside the United States.)
International patenting in three important technologies-robot technology, genetic engineering, and optical fibers-underscores the inventive activity by the United States, Japan, and Europe in these diverse technologies. Based on an examination of national patenting activity in 33 countries during 1980-90, Japan and the United States lead in overall technological activity in these areas. (For more information see: International Patenting Trends for Three Important Technologies.)
U.S. position in these technologies improved over the decade as did the technological significance of its inventions corrected for level of activity. However, Japan's contribution to the most significant work in these technologies is lower than would be expected based on its high level of activity. Great Britain and France appear to produce significant new technologies at a higher rate than would be expected based on their somewhat lower level of international patent activity. (For more information see: International Patenting Activity.)

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