Patent applications to the EPO in the ICT sector 1993 to 2003

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) represent one of the key sectors of our present-day economy. As this sector involves technological inventions and is also known as being highly competitive, patents play a major role. This publication presents a brief analysis of ICT patent activities at international level and then goes on to look in more detail, at what happens at national level, while taking into account the particularities of the ICT sector. Finally, to illustrate the demand side of the ICT sector, it takes a brief look at expenditure on information technology.