Slovenia Files Fewer Applications with EPO in 2009

In 2009, Slovenia filed 119 applications with the European Patent Office (EPO), which is 7 percent less compared to the 128 applications filed in 2008. Slovenians were granted 28 European patents in 2009, which is a 15.2 percent decrease compared to 2008, when they were granted 33 patents.

Many European countries were faced with a similar decline in 2009 due to the global economic crisis. Among the 10 countries that entered the EU in 2004, Slovenia is ranked third in terms of the number of applications submitted; Poland and the Czech Republic are first and second with 173 and 136 applications filed in 2009 respectively.

In terms of the number of granted patents, the Czech Republic takes the first place with 40, Hungary is second with 38, Poland third place with 33 and Slovenia takes the fourth place with 28 granted patents.

According to the 2009 Annual Report, EPO received a total of 134,542 applications, which is an 8 percent decrease compared to 2008. Patents have been granted for 13 percent of the applications, which accounts for approximately 52,000 granted patents.

For more information, please contact Masa Lopicic at our Balkan Regional Office.

Source: Slovenian IPO, EPO