Intellectual property practice Marks & Clerk files most patents in UK

Intellectual property practice Marks & Clerk filed the highest number of Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications between January 2014 and December 2016 according to data published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

The statistics also showed the firm – which has offices across the UK, Europe, North America and Asia – is one of Europe’s top three filers.

Globally an estimated 233,000 international patent applications were filed in 2016 – an increase of 7.3 per cent and “the fastest increase since 2011”, according to the WIPO’s Global PCT Leaders Report. Of these, 5,496 patent applications were filed in the United Kingdom in 2016, a 3.9 per cent increase from the previous year.

Paul Chapman, managing partner in Marks & Clerk’s Edinburgh office (pictured) said the firm was proud to be one of the UK and Europe’s top filers of both patent and trademark applications – and said Scotland in particular was a hotbed of innovation.

He said: “That we are again recognised as the UK’s top filer of PCT applications is testament not only to the expertise of our team, but also to the dynamism of the Scottish economy and that of the wider UK.

“Scotland is a global leader in industries as diverse as energy, food and drink and biotechnology. It is great to be part of this innovation, providing businesses across Scotland with the international intellectual property protection they need to continue growing and investing.”

Marks & Clerk’s Scottish offices have also filed more than 200 European Patent applications – distinct from PCT applications in that they are filed at the EU Intellectual Property Office rather than the WIPO – since October 2016.

The most popular patent application categories in Scotland include those relating to oil and gas drilling, medical science and materials analysis.