inovia Continues its Reign as Top PCT Firm in the United States and Closes in on World’s Top Ranking According to the Annual Survey by Managing Intellectual Property

Results of the 2012 Assessment of the World’s Largest Filers of Patents under the Patent Cooperation Treaty is in Line with Company Growth

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--inovia, the leading foreign filing provider, today announced it has once again moved up in Managing Intellectual Property magazine’s annual ranking of the top Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) firms, placing second in the world and first in the United States for the second consecutive year. Moving up a spot from its 2011 third place worldwide finish, inovia will handle the national stage entry of nearly 1,400 PCTs this year, an 87 percent increase from 2011 and more than twice as many applications as the next largest U.S. firm (Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP). This significant growth underscores the value inovia’s technology brings to the marketplace and the widespread adoption of its inovia.com platform that reduces the cost and complexity of foreign patent filing.

“The results of this year’s survey mimic our corporate growth trajectory as we continue to see increased demand and use of the inovia platform for clients who are seeking smarter, more creative and strategic ways to offset IP costs”

Now in its fourth year, Managing IP’s list of the law firms handling the most patents filed under the PCT is based on details published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property (IP) system. Managing IP’s top PCT filing firms list is an important benchmark of firms’ activity in the patent market, especially as PCT applications are assuming a bigger role in IP owners’ protection strategies. The survey has become an important tool for law firms seeking a reliable resource for identifying potential attorney firms around the world with whom they can exchange patent work.

In addition to providing a comprehensive technology solution to simplify the foreign filing process and reduce costs, inovia boasts a global network of agents in more than 100 countries, responsible for coordinating more than 30,000 foreign patent filings totaling more than $80 million to date. Once again several of inovia’s foreign agents ranked among the top filers in their local markets according to the Managing IP survey. China’s two largest filers (and inovia agents) China PAT Intellectual Property Office and AFD China Intellectual Property Office moved up considerably in the worldwide rankings this year to first and third, respectively, illustrating China’s growing influence on the world stage. China has determined 2012 as the "patent examination culture" year, with a focus on making the process objective, fair, accurate and timely.

Also ranking first in its respected country of Sweden was Awapatent, while Reinhold Cohn & Partners maintained its second place ranking in Israel for the third consecutive year. Other inovia agents include Shelston IP (10^th in Australia), Ridout & Maybee LLP (5^th in Canada), Meissner Bolte & Partner (6^th in Germany), S. Majumdar & Co. (3^rd in India), Allied Patents (9^th in the Netherlands), SunYoung International Patent & Law Firm (6^th in South Korea), and Harness Dickey & Pierce (11^th in the U.S.).

“The results of this year’s survey mimic our corporate growth trajectory as we continue to see increased demand and use of the inovia platform for clients who are seeking smarter, more creative and strategic ways to offset IP costs,” said David Nelson, CEO of inovia. “We’ve worked diligently to provide a solution that meets the evolving needs of the industry, adding functionality like trademark search and registration services and support for new emerging markets like Egypt. With continued product innovation, an elite global network of agents and an easy, seamless way for clients, agents and attorneys to manage the foreign filing process, inovia continues to change the foreign filing landscape and bring significant value, both in time and cost savings, to its users.”

To view the complete ranking of top PCT filing firms, visit Managing IP’s website.

About inovia

inovia is the global leader in foreign patent filing, having served more than 1,000 clients. Its global instruction platform, inovia.com, simplifies the PCT national stage entry and European validation processes. With headquarters in New York, offices in London, Munich and Sydney, and agents covering over 100 countries, inovia provides support in all major time zones and IP jurisdictions. inovia’s patented technology pioneered online foreign filing and is recognized amongst WIPO’s most notable inventions. For more information visit inovia at www.inovia.com and follow the company on Twitter @inoviaIP.