2016 and 2017 were the Growth Peak for Blockchain Patents, Says Wither & Rogers LLP
The surging number of blockchain patents over 2016 and 2017 accounted for 60% of total blockchain patents, as reported by the British media outlet Compelo on 5 June.
The study was conducted by the intellectual property firm Withers & Rogers LLP and the Swiss Federal Institute of intellectual Property. The study found that the number of patents for blockchain technologies reached a peak of 2,666 between 2016 and 2017, which outgrew the number of patents for quantum computing.
Phil Horler, a patent attorney at Withers & Rogers said “The pace of blockchain patent filings since 2015 is far outstripping that of quantum computing and, despite the relative infancy of blockchain technology, the number of blockchain patent families worldwide already exceeds that of quantum computing.”
Wither & Rogers LLP predicted that the growth rate for blockchain inventions will continue over the next few years.
Exhibit 1: Blockchain Patent Landscape report
Source: Withers & Rogers
According to Exhibit 1, United States has the highest number of blockchain patent applications (1680), while China filed for 1,590 blockchain patents and ranked 2nd. The UK ranked 3rd for filing 270 blockchain patent applications.
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