INPI started work in the area of patent rankings in 2002 with the creation of its observatory the observatory of intellectual property which resulted in the production of a series of main patent applicants’ ranking report each year. These main patent applicants’ ranking reports issue the limits of interpretations of such rankings. The beginning of the year is a time when different patent offices or organizations publish their rank of patent applicants. This study outlines and comments recent rankings of main patent offices’ patent rankings (French, American, European, PCT). This study also highlights methodologies used in these rankings which drive the results; and focus on the French case to stress the trend over time of French patent applicants’ ranking and limits of their interpretations.

1. Rankings of main
patent applicants
in France
Emmanuelle Fortune
24th April 2017

2. 2 /
Major issues
► Who are the main patent applicants in France?
► What are the patent behavior of main patent
applicants in France?
II-SDV, April 25, 2017

3. 3 /
Who are the main patent applicants in France in 2016?
Source: INPI 2017
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Since 2004, ranking
of main patent
applicants at INPI
https://www.inpi.fr/fr/le-palmares-des-deposants-de-brevets-en-2016
1st Ranking: All applicants

4. 4 /
Source: INPI 2017
Number of patent
applications published
in 2016 at INPI
▪ Methodology:
For each firm:
clustering of
subsidiaries
▪ Database:
French patent
database
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Who are the main patent applicants in France in 2016?
1st Ranking: All applicants

5. 5 /
Trend of the main patent applicants in France?
Number of patent applications published at INPI Source: INPI 2017
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
1st Ranking: All applicants

6. 6 /
Concentration of the 50th first patent applicants in France
Source: INPI 2017
The 20th main patent
appliquant
From the 21th to the 50th
main patent appliquant
From the 51th main patent
appliquant
% of patent applications published at INPI
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
1st Ranking: All applicants

7. 7 /
Source: INPI 2017
The 20th main patent
appliquant
From the 21th to the 50th
main patent appliquant
From the 51th main patent
appliquant
% of patent applications published at INPI
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Concentration of the 50th first patent applicants in France
1st Ranking: All applicants

8. 8 /
How to represent the top 5 applicants in France in 2016?
Source: Thomson Innovation Clarivate Analytics – Calculations INPI 2017
GROUPEVALEO994 GROUPEPSA930 SAFRAN 758
COMMISSARIATÀL’ÉNERGIEATOMIQUEETAUXÉNERGIESALTERNATIVES 684 GROUPERENAULT 509
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
1st Ranking: All applicants

9. 9 /
French patent applicants strategies in 2015
Source: INPI 2017
Since 2010, ranking
of main French
patent applicants in
the 8 main patent
Offices
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
2nd Ranking: Only French applicants

10. 10 /
French patent applicants strategies in 2015
Source: INPI 2017
▪ Methodology:
For each firm:
clustering of
subsidiaries
▪ Database:
Patstat
Number of 1st
Applications at INPI
Number of 1st Applications at
the 7 other main patent Offices
(WIPO, EPO, DPMA, JPO, KIPO,
SIPO, USPTO)
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
2nd Ranking: Only French applicants

11. 11 /
New tool: Patent atlas
http://atlasdesbrevets.esr.gouv.fr/index.php/Accueil/fr
Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
II-SDV, April 25, 2017

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New tool: Patent atlas
http://atlasdesbrevets.esr.gouv.fr/index.php/Accueil/fr
Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Applicants or inventors count
Patent applications or granted
patents count

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New tool: Patent atlas
http://atlasdesbrevets.esr.gouv.fr/index.php/Accueil/fr
Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Maps

14. 14 /
Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
New tool: Patent atlas
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Regional ranking of
main French patent
applicants at INPI or
EPO designating
France
Applicants Categorization Nb
3rd Ranking: Only French applicants
Regional selection:
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Publication year selection:
2015

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Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
New tool: Patent atlas
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
▪ Methodology:
harmonization
of name
▪ Database:
Patstat
Regional selection:
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Publication year selection:
2015
3rd Ranking: Only French applicants
Applicants Categorization Nb

16. 16 /
Regional selection:
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Publication year selection:
2015
Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
New tool: Patent atlas
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
19% from
EPO
designating
France
81%
from
INPI
Private
Private
Physical person
Public
public-private

17. 17 /
Regional selection: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Publication year selection: 2011-2013
Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
New tool: Patent atlas
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Number of
patent
applications

18. 18 /
Regional selection: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Publication year selection: 2011-2013
Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
New tool: Patent atlas
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Number of
applications by
technological
domains

19. 19 /
Regional selection: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Publication year selection: 2011-2013
Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
New tool: Patent atlas
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Technological
specialization

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Regional selection:
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Publication year selection:
2015
Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
New tool: Patent atlas
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Nb of patent applications in 2015
Raw data of the selection

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Regional selection:
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Publication year selection:
2015
Source: INPI, MENESR-DGESIP/DGRI-SIES
New tool: Patent atlas
II-SDV, April 25, 2017
Open Data:
Raw data of the
selection

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►Information at different levels: from general
to specific
►Rankings reported in the press
►Helpful for patent applicants
or policy makers
Conclusion
II-SDV, April 25, 2017

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Further information on INPI work on IP:
https://www.inpi.fr/fr/services-et-prestations-
domaine/etudes-chiffres-cles
efortune@inpi.fr
Thank you!
II-SDV, April 25, 2017