(i) Statistics collected by European Patent Office and published in statistics and trends centre data visualisation service. The annual Patent Index reports on the European patent applications and European patents granted in one calendar year. In collating the data to be included, a cut-off date at around five weeks after the end of the reported year is taken. This means that each Patent Index is a “snapshot” of the situation as it was best understood on the cut-off date. Any slight differences between the Patent Index and the statistics and trends centre data visualisation service can be attributed to subsequent reassignments of technology field, applicant or country to a handful of applications after the cut-off date. (ii) European patent applications and European patents granted in one calendar year (iii) EPO Member STates 38 (iv) Patent filings at the EPO
