China was the only country whose companies increased the number of technology patents they were awarded in the US last year, according to an analysis to be released on Tuesday.
The figures, from the patent information company IFI Claims, highlight China’s growing technical prowess at a time when the forced transfer and alleged theft of intellectual property from American companies is at the centre of a trade war between the two countries.
China is even on track to overtake Germany in terms of the official US recognition for its companies’ IP advances, with the cross-over likely to come next year, said Larry Cady, senior analyst at IFI.