(Yicai Global) Dec. 8 -- The number of patent applications filed globally fell last year for the first time in 10 years, but China still led the way, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Global patent applications fell 3 percent to 3.22 million in 2019, China Central Television said, citing a report the Geneva-based IP agency released yesterday. The China National Intellectual Property Administration accepted 1.4 million filings, more than twice the number received by the second-ranked United States Patent and Trademark Office.

China’s total fell from 1.54 million in 2018 partly because the country has been beefing up regulations to improve the quality of applications, the report added.

Filings in Asia accounted for 65 percent of the world’s total last year, up from 50.9 percent in 2009, mainly due to the growth of China's economy, the report said. Asia has become the main engine for global patent applications, according to WIPO Director-General Deng Hongsen.

About 1.04 million industrial design patents were lodged worldwide, containing 1.36 million designs, a year-on-year increase of 1.3 percent, the report said. China accepted 7,834 plant variety filings, an increase of 36 percent over 2018, accounting for more than a third of the global total.

The WIPO’s annual report collects and analyzes data from more than 150 national and regional offices to provide information for policy makers, business leaders, investors, scholars and others who explore macro trends in innovation and creativity.

Editor: Tom Litting