Some of the information for this article was taken from a report issued by the Israel Intellectual Property Forum, operating under the auspices of the FICC.
Intellectual Property as a National Resource
According
to the dictionary, “intellectual property” refers to “property (as an idea, invention,
or process) that derives from the work of the mind or intellect.” In
our modern economies, intellectual property (IP) is a national resource of the
utmost importance. IP can advance the economy and society. It provides
a foundation for economic cooperation with other nations.
Israel Patent Authority data reveals a significant increase in recent years
in the number of patent applications filed in the country, as well as in the
number of international patent applications based on applications first filed
in Israel (Patent Cooperation Treaty patents).
Israeli IP at the Fore
The number of patent applications
entering the national stage in Israel in 1997 was a mere 540. Since that time,
the country has made some impressive strides.
A Business Data Israel study in 2005 ranked
Israel second in the number
of European patents filed by non-European companies.
The country
placed fourth in the number
of U.S. patents filed by non-U.S. companies per year, per capita.
According
to a report released by BioIsrael, the country leads the
world in patents for medical devices, based on its population. A total
of 6,841 patent applications were filed in Israel in 2005, a figure that ranks
Israel in third place
in terms of per capita patent applications.
In 2006, Israel was in fourth place in the number of patents that were
approved and registered in the United States with 178.5 patents per 1 million
residents, marking an 18% rise from 2005, when it was in fifth place.
The article, "Israel 2nd place in patent applications
to Europe" (Ynetnews, March 6, 2007), states Israel ranked just behind
Japan with 112 requests to Europe. Interestingly, within Israel, about
78% (5,319) of the patent registration applications filed were by foreign
companies.
Israel is a member of the Bern Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention
and is also a signatory to the TRIPS Agreement. Israel is also a signatory
to the WIPO Copyright Convention, but has yet to ratify it and to implement
its provisions.
In spite of these tremendous acknowledged successes, the issue of IP
does not often receive due attention on the country’s national agenda,
contrary to the situation in other developed nations.
According
to the dictionary, “intellectual property” refers to “property (as an idea, invention,
or process) that derives from the work of the mind or intellect.” In
our modern economies, intellectual property (IP) is a national resource of the
utmost importance. IP can advance the economy and society. It provides
a foundation for economic cooperation with other nations. 