Getting Hired in the IP Field [PTO Stats]

There is nothing better then data...said no one...ever. However, I think lawyers should have a keen eye to trends, and trends only make sense with data.  The patent office is a great resource to uncover strategies and long term trends in the field (and in American innovation in general). Below are some patent stats for 2012.

It is interesting that slightly more than half of all the applications filed in the US, originated from inventors in foreign countries. The take away is that foreign filing in the US is a serious source of work and revenue for firms, large and small (there is a reason I go to Japan once a year). However, one could argue that Americans have lost the edge in their own patent office. When you break out the foreign countries into their own catagory, the situations becomes more interesting.

Japan, once the second largest economy in the world, is still the second largest filer of Applications in the US. In contrast, China (PRC), is the world's second largest economy, but is tied with Canada for the amount of applications filed in the U.S. Over time, these number will begin to reflect the rise of China on the global stage, but the concern that China is already at the front, is a bit misplaced.


Lastly, the estimated number of active patent practitioners is 26,000. So, when you calculate the total number of applications filed by the number of active practitioners, you get 20.8 Applications per practitioner. Seeing that some of these applications are pro se, some companies have hundreds of applications filed by a small team, the number of applications per attorney or agent is actually quite small. I will let you draw your own conclusions on what that means for the prospects for new lawyers.