Design patents: A snapshot study of the BRICS economies

This study is an attempt to examine the profile of design patents among the BRICS economies by examining design patents issued by the United States Patents and Trademark Office (USPTO), for the period 2002–2011. During this period, China was granted the most patents followed by Brazil, India, South Africa and Russia. In terms of the proportion of design to the utility patents, three countries, viz. China, Brazil, and South Africa dominated. An analysis of the results showed that China had produced two-third of the total patents in the design category. For all the aforementioned countries, most of the design patents were granted within a period of one year from the date of filing. For India, one-third of the design patents were issued in the jewellery and ornaments category followed by the apparatus tools and equipment category. In the case of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa, the largest segment for which design patents were issued was the apparatus tools and equipment, followed by goods packaging. Most of the design patents in the BRICS region were issued to individual inventors, and two inventor teams received the second highest number of patents. As the largest percentage of inventors belonged to the BRICS countries, the United States was observed as the most affiliate country, closely followed by the other European countries. However, some prominent Asian countries were also noted for their close ties with the region.