Global innovative activity is showing resilience as international patent applications filed through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) rose by 0.7% in 2025.
China’s Huawei Technologies cemented its position as the world’s most prolific innovator, topping the WIPO Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) list with 7,523 published applications in 2025.
This marks a nearly decade-long streak at the top for the Chinese telecom giant.
The report highlights a widening gap between Asian innovation hubs and the West:
China & South Korea saw growth of 5.3% and 4.9% respectively. South Korea has now maintained an unbroken growth trend for 28 years.
The Decline: Established Western hubs are retreating. US filings fell by 3.0% (its fourth straight year of decline), while Japan and Germany saw contractions of 1.0% and 1.8% respectively.
The Corporate Leaderboard: Behind Huawei, the top filers include:
- Samsung Electronics (South Korea) – 4,698 filings
- Qualcomm (USA) – 3,227 filings
- LG Electronics (South Korea) – 2,400 filings
- CATL (China) – 2,203 filings
The center of gravity for global technology is decisively shifting East. With 16 of the top 20 applicants operating in the ICT sector, the dominance of Asian firms in 5G, 6G, and semiconductor manufacturing is becoming a permanent fixture of the global IP landscape.
L’Oréal and Light & Wonder Lead Trademark Filings Amid Global Slump in Brand Registrations
While patents are on the rise, the global trademark market is seeing a slight cooling period. International trademark applications under the Madrid System declined by 1.5% in 2025, totaling 64,150 applications.
Winners and Losers:
L’Oréal remains the undisputed queen of branding, retaining its #1 spot for the fifth year in a row with 274 applications.
Light & Wonder (US) made a massive leap, climbing 38 places to become the second-largest filer.
The Big Drop: Novartis AG, a perennial top player, saw its filings plummet by 126 applications, falling out of the top five for the first time since 2006.
The Sector View: Despite the overall decline, Computer Hardware and Software remains the most popular class for trademarks (10.8%), suggesting that even in the branding world, tech-related services are the primary area of protection.
Why it matters:
The dip in trademark filings, particularly the 10.6% drop in Italy and 4.9% in China, often serves as a leading indicator of cooling consumer brand expansion.
Companies are being more selective about which new products they bring to market, focusing more on protecting core tech (patents) than “brand names” (trademarks) in the current economic climate.
