back to article Big spike in Euro patents - but 63% were filed from outside Europe

More patents were filed to the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2012 than ever before, said the EPO today. The 258,000 applications filed represent a third record year in a row for the Patent Office and reflect the worldwide push to patent driven by the tech industry. But the 5.7 perc ent increase in patent applications from …

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  1. Ragarath

    Make it easier

    To file a europe wide patent for europeans, choose a language and let us file in that for everywhere. Ridiculous the amount it is to get europe wide protection. Only big companies can afford it. This is not why patents were invented.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Make it easier

      Your wish is granted http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/12/new_european_patent_system/

      1. Ragarath

        Re: Make it easier

        "According to the European Commission, the new unitary patent will cost a minimum of €4,725, when the new rules are fully implemented, up to a maximum of €6,425. The costs for translation will range from €680 to €2,380."

        So my wish is granted on stumping up around £5000. Right well that still puts it out of the league of small inventors and aimed firmly at Business.

        Although, it should make it easier if it is ratified.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Napoleon Was Right

    Britain is a nation of shopkeepers and now even the shops are closing down.

    Will the last person remember to turn the lights off please.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Napoleon Was Right

      Patents have little to do with innovation, invention or, production. At least not nowdays, they're more a method for large companies to suppress competition.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Napoleon Was Right

        They are important for the person with a new idea which would get quickly stolen by others.

        Mr Dyson made sure he had his cyclone technology protected when he was trying to sell it to Hoover and others. They turned him down (presumably because they were all too happy selling bags) and he built quite a nice business after setting it up for himself.

        Look at the vacuum cleaners in a electrical store, they all look so similar to his it's unbelievable. Without the patent they would have just stolen the idea and he wouldn't have a business now.

        The problem of patents is when big companies use them excessively.

        Drug companies have protection on their drugs since paying for research is very expensive. A drug can be 20 years or more in the making sometimes. While you might think it would be great to not have the patent it would result in reduced research or the research having to be paid for out of general taxation.

    2. Jeremy Allison
      Linux

      Re: Napoleon Was Right

      As my brother famously (*) said, "Never mind the economy, we can always just sell each other haircuts over the Internet".

      Sad, so sad to see the UK manufacturing base gone..

      (*) Famous to me, at least.

  3. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Meh

    Innovation... Pah!

    There is no shortage of real creativity in the UK. It's just that people here tend to get on and actually make things (below the radar of the money grubbers).

    1. Simon2
      Go

      Re: Innovation... Pah!

      Yes EXACTLY! We just get on with it. Patent or no Patent.

      1. P. Lee
        Unhappy

        Re: Innovation... Pah!

        > Yes EXACTLY! We just get on with it. Patent or no Patent.

        Or more usually, we invent it but can't get anyone in the UK to make it or help fund its manufacture, so we go to the US and sell it there.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Innovation... Pah!

      There's the problem, we make something, a big US company copies and improves it. They release their superior product then nobody buys ours any more.

      Either that or we build up a nice business and sell it to a US company.

      You need to protect the design (registered design) or patent the functionality if it is superior (patent).

      Look the Dragon's Den, they rarely invest in anyone with an idea if they don't have protection. It's common sense for doing business.

  4. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

    Filing patents has nothing to do with innovation

    Patents are for established companies who want stop block competition so they can scrap their R&D department and for trolls.

    Good news everybody - the government has given us the patent box scheme: Tax cuts for patent trolls. Now all we need is a new Texas style court for resolving all patent disputes by fining the innovators into bankruptcy.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Filing patents has nothing to do with innovation

      That's what they have become, but that's not their original intention.

    2. streaky
      Childcatcher

      Re: Filing patents has nothing to do with innovation

      Moreso - a filed patent != a legitimate patent. Which is probably the reason, maybe we're just filing less frivolous stuff?

  5. Saoir

    Using the NUMBER of Patents as a guide to anything ... anything whatsoever ... is DUMB.

    One good Patent is worth 1,000 crap and useless patent - and MANY of these patents mentioned in this article come under the latter category.

    Please also refer to the battles going on between Apple/Samsung/Kodak/Google etc. The number of Patents are a sideshow ... what matters are Patents that they CARE about and patents that hold up in court.

    1. P. Lee

      > Using the NUMBER of Patents as a guide to anything ... anything whatsoever ... is DUMB.

      Actually its probably a good guide to locating your law practise and for identifying areas where innovation is likely to slow.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: > Using the NUMBER of Patents as a guide to anything ... anything whatsoever ... is DUMB.

        But where you file is an interesting measure.

        You file where you want to stop somebody else SELLING a copy of your idea

        So you don't bother filing in the Isle of Man or Luxembourg. If somebody wants to set up a factory to clone your idea so they can sell 3 a year, go ahead.

        You file in Germany because there are 80Million rich potential customers

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