These tables provide an overview of patent activity, based on the latest available statistics.
On this page
Requests for examination
Figure 1: Requests for examination of patents
| |
2013 to 2014 |
2014 to 2015 |
2015 to 2016 |
2016 to 2017 |
2017 to 2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Patent requests for examination |
28,497 |
28,776 |
28,596 |
28,199 |
28,046 |
30,163 |
28,209 |
Disposals
Figure 2: Patent disposals
| |
2013 to 2014 |
2014 to 2015 |
2015 to 2016 |
2016 to 2017 |
2017 to 2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Patent disposals |
38,533 |
36,370 |
32,422 |
32,635 |
31,629 |
29,757 |
27,046 |
Turnaround times
Figure 3: Average turnaround times for granting a patent
| |
2013 to 2014 |
2014 to 2015 |
2015 to 2016 |
2016 to 2017 |
2017 to 2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Patent turnaround time (in months) |
42.7 |
40.3 |
38.8 |
36.7 |
33.6 |
32.0 |
31.1 |
Applications by language
Patent applications filed by language
| Language |
2013 to 2014 |
2014 to 2015 |
2015 to 2016 |
2016 to 2017 |
2017 to 2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| English |
35,810 |
36,172 |
35,885 |
36,019 |
33,632 |
37,889 |
36,951 |
| French |
1,234 |
1,354 |
1,167 |
1,278 |
1,086 |
1,138 |
1,048 |
| Total |
37,044 |
37,526 |
37,052 |
36,019 |
34,718 |
39,027 |
37,999 |
Applications, requests for examination and patents granted by sector
Chemistry
| Chemistry patent applications |
2017-2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Filed |
11,903 |
13,095 |
12,679 |
| Requests for examination |
9,263 |
10,014 |
9,153 |
| Granted |
7,160 |
7,219 |
6,552 |
Electrical engineering
| Electrical engineering patent applications |
2017-2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Filed |
5,656 |
6,279 |
6,655 |
| Requests for examination |
4,798 |
5,005 |
5,293 |
| Granted |
4,483 |
3,994 |
3,523 |
Instruments
| Instrument patent applications |
2017-2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Filed |
5,713 |
6,504 |
6,319 |
| Requests for examination |
4,769 |
5,430 |
4,737 |
| Granted |
4,341 |
4,076 |
3,479 |
Mechanical engineering
| Mechanical engineering patent applications |
2017-2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Filed |
7,198 |
8,278 |
8,040 |
| Requests for examination |
5,900 |
6,434 |
5,856 |
| Granted |
5,264 |
5,023 |
4,815 |
Other fields
| Patent applications from other fields |
2017-2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Filed |
4,248 |
4,871 |
4,306 |
| Requests for examination |
3,316 |
3,280 |
3,170 |
| Granted |
2,956 |
2,781 |
2,636 |
All disciplines
| Patent applications from all disciplines |
2017-2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Filed |
34,718 |
39,027 |
37,999 |
| Request for examination |
28,046 |
30,163 |
28,209 |
| Granted |
24,204 |
23,093 |
21,005 |
Applications and patents granted to residents of Canada and foreign countries
Applications filed and patents granted to residents of Canada and foreign countries (fiscal year 2019 to 2020)
| Province, territory or country |
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications filed |
Non-PCT applications filed |
Total applications filed |
Total patents granted |
| Alberta |
216 |
592 |
808 |
369 |
| British Columbia |
254 |
411 |
665 |
210 |
| Manitoba |
30 |
85 |
115 |
48 |
| New Brunswick |
10 |
32 |
42 |
16 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador |
4 |
10 |
14 |
2 |
| Northwest Territories |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Nova Scotia |
22 |
42 |
64 |
25 |
| Nunavut |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Ontario |
643 |
1,301 |
1,944 |
771 |
| Prince Edward Island |
4 |
4 |
8 |
6 |
| Quebec |
362 |
850 |
1,212 |
463 |
| Saskatchewan |
19 |
153 |
172 |
74 |
| Yukon |
1 |
6 |
7 |
0 |
| Residents of Canada (total) |
1,565 |
3,486 |
5,051 |
1,985 |
| Foreign countries |
26,564 |
6,384 |
32,948 |
19,020 |
| Total |
28,129 |
9,870 |
37,999 |
21,005 |
Applications and patents granted by origin as stated by the applicant
Patent applications filed and patents granted by origin as stated by the applicant (fiscal year 2019 to 2020)
| Origin |
Filed |
Granted |
| Algeria |
3 |
0 |
| Andorra |
2 |
0 |
| Antigua and Barbuda |
2 |
0 |
| Argentina |
6 |
7 |
| Aruba |
1 |
0 |
| Australia |
555 |
231 |
| Austria |
271 |
166 |
| Azerbaijan |
0 |
1 |
| Bahamas |
0 |
2 |
| Bahrain |
1 |
0 |
| Barbados |
28 |
27 |
| Belarus |
1 |
1 |
| Belgium |
323 |
153 |
| Belize |
1 |
0 |
| Bermuda |
10 |
11 |
| Brazil |
72 |
22 |
| British Virgin Islands |
12 |
17 |
| Bulgaria |
1 |
3 |
| Canada |
5,051 |
1,995 |
| Cayman Islands |
182 |
21 |
| Chile |
20 |
13 |
| China |
1,494 |
549 |
| Colombia |
2 |
2 |
| Costa Rica |
4 |
3 |
| Croatia |
3 |
2 |
| Cuba |
3 |
10 |
| Cyprus |
14 |
6 |
| Czech Republic |
28 |
9 |
| Denmark |
292 |
185 |
| Dominican Republic |
1 |
0 |
| Ecuador |
0 |
2 |
| Egypt |
1 |
0 |
| El Salvador |
0 |
0 |
| Estonia |
3 |
2 |
| Faroe Islands |
1 |
1 |
| Finland |
301 |
186 |
| France |
1,589 |
1,061 |
| Germany |
2,086 |
1,370 |
| Gibraltar |
1 |
0 |
| Greece |
19 |
15 |
| Guinea |
1 |
0 |
| Hungary |
25 |
9 |
| Iceland |
9 |
9 |
| India |
194 |
67 |
| Indonesia |
1 |
0 |
| Iran |
6 |
1 |
| Ireland |
185 |
108 |
| Isle of Man |
9 |
0 |
| Israel |
418 |
172 |
| Italy |
604 |
311 |
| Jamaica |
0 |
2 |
| Japan |
1,610 |
1,346 |
| Jersey |
1 |
1 |
| Jordan |
0 |
1 |
| Kazakhstan |
1 |
0 |
| Kuwait |
0 |
1 |
| Latvia |
4 |
2 |
| Liechtenstein |
59 |
19 |
| Lithuania |
4 |
0 |
| Luxembourg |
123 |
57 |
| Malaysia |
19 |
6 |
| Malta |
8 |
2 |
| Mauritius |
3 |
0 |
| Mexico |
40 |
26 |
| Monaco |
2 |
1 |
| Morocco |
1 |
0 |
| Nepal |
1 |
0 |
| Netherlands |
527 |
326 |
| Netherlands Antilles |
0 |
1 |
| New Zealand |
80 |
52 |
| Niger |
0 |
1 |
| Norway |
250 |
130 |
| Pakistan |
4 |
0 |
| Panama |
1 |
0 |
| Philippines |
0 |
1 |
| Poland |
42 |
0 |
| Portugal |
39 |
11 |
| Qatar |
0 |
7 |
| Republic of Korea |
396 |
284 |
| Romania |
4 |
0 |
| Russia |
76 |
43 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis |
3 |
0 |
| Saint Vincent and The Grenadines |
0 |
3 |
| Samoa |
1 |
0 |
| San Marino |
1 |
1 |
| Saudi Arabia |
181 |
38 |
| Senegal |
0 |
1 |
| Serbia |
1 |
0 |
| Seychelles |
0 |
1 |
| Singapore |
72 |
42 |
| Slovakia |
9 |
4 |
| Slovenia |
9 |
6 |
| South Africa |
41 |
31 |
| Spain |
204 |
109 |
| Sweden |
505 |
300 |
| Switzerland |
1,056 |
732 |
| Taiwan |
49 |
73 |
| Thailand |
10 |
1 |
| Hong Kong |
5 |
9 |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
1 |
0 |
| Tunisia |
0 |
2 |
| Turkey |
17 |
13 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands |
2 |
0 |
| Ukraine |
2 |
1 |
| United Arab Emirates |
7 |
1 |
| United Kingdom |
1,274 |
648 |
| United States of America |
17,410 |
9,919 |
| Uruguay |
8 |
0 |
| Totals |
37,999 |
21,005 |
Top 10 applicants
Top 10 patent applicants (fiscal year 2019 to 2020)
| Applicant |
Number of applications filed |
| GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD. |
281 |
| QUALCOMM INCORPORATED |
232 |
| PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP. |
195 |
| THE BOEING COMPANY |
191 |
| HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC. |
181 |
| HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. |
179 |
| SAUDI ARABIAN OIL COMPANY |
176 |
| CAPITAL ONE SERVICES, LLC |
169 |
| THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY |
147 |
| ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LIMITED |
142 |
Top 10 patentees
Top 10 patentees (fiscal year 2019 to 2020)
| Patentee |
Number of patents granted |
| HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC. |
448 |
| GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY |
183 |
| THE BOEING COMPANY |
129 |
| SNECMA |
111 |
| NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD. |
101 |
| HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD. |
94 |
| THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY |
93 |
| QUALCOMM INCORPORATED |
91 |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. |
85 |
| BLACKBERRY LIMITED |
70 |
Patent Appeal Board operational statistics
Final actions
| Operational statistics |
2013 to 2014 |
2014 to 2015 |
2015 to 2016 |
2016 to 2017 |
2017 to 2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Referrals |
34 |
28 |
65 |
91 |
75 |
101 |
71 |
| Disposals |
40 |
24 |
19 |
33 |
41 |
46 |
56 |
Industrial designs
| Operational statistics |
2013 to 2014 |
2014 to 2015 |
2015 to 2016 |
2016 to 2017 |
2017 to 2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Referrals |
2 |
6 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
| Disposals |
0 |
2 |
6 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Re-examination: section 48.1
| Operational statistics |
2013 to 2014 |
2014 to 2015 |
2015 to 2016 |
2016 to 2017 |
2017 to 2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Filings |
6 |
4 |
12 |
2 |
15 |
11 |
11 |
| Disposals |
7 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
7 |
4 |
11 |
Candidates for agent examinations
| Operational statistics |
2013 to 2014 |
2014 to 2015 |
2015 to 2016 |
2016 to 2017 |
2017 to 2018 |
2018 to 2019 |
2019 to 2020 |
| Patents |
218 |
439 |
471 |
433 |
440 |
406 |
408 |
| Trademarks |
69 |
71 |
89 |
111 |
142 |
120 |
110 |
