Innovation In Maryland Continues Decline
As reported last month, the first seven month of 2007 saw a decline in the number of patents granted to Maryland inventors compared to the previous year. That trend continued into August. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) records show that for the period January through August 2006, the PTO granted 1,425 patents naming at least one Maryland resident as an inventor or joint inventor (based on residence addresses supplied by patent applicants to the PTO). However, the PTO only issued 1,313 patents to Maryland inventors for the same period in 2007, an eight percent decline over 2006 numbers.
For the month of August 2007, the PTO granted 150 patents naming at least one Maryland resident as an inventor or joint inventor. The PTO had issued 207 patents to Maryland inventors in August 2006, a 28% difference.
The number of published patent applications naming at least one Maryland inventor in August 2007 was also down, continuing a trend seen in the first seven months of 2007 (compared to 2006). According to the PTO, 296 patent applications naming at least one Maryland inventor were published in August 2007, compared to 307 patent applications published during the same period in 2006, a four-percent difference.
Comments:
- See related posts for June and July.
- Although an eight percent decline in the number of patents issued to Maryland inventors is not insignificant and clearly suggests a decline in innovation, it would be incorrect to conclude that the number of issued patents (or published patent applications) is the best indicator of the level of innovation in Maryland, as many other variables also correlate with innovation. There may also be certain conditions affecting the number of patents being issued by the PTO today compared to last year.
