EPO granting fewer patents
The European Patent Office (EPO) granted fewer patents in 2007 compared to 2006, despite an increase in the number of applications.
EPO president Alison Brimelow said the reason behind fewer successful applications was to do with a focus on the quality, not quantity, of the patents.
"What we need is not more patents, but more good patents. The EPO aims to make sure that the patents it grants are relevant. The lower number of patents published in 2007 reflects this priority and is a step in the right direction."
