Citation
(2001), "Bright Ideas", Work Study, Vol. 50 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.2001.07950gaa.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited
Bright Ideas
Bright Ideas
We've been told for some time now that future wealth will be intellectual property. This suggests that the nations with the most and best ideas will be the richest. So, how are we all doing? Well, if you look at patents registered with the US Patent Office (though it is the USA, there are more world-wide patents registered here than anywhere else), it shows that – not surprisingly – the USA is in the lead with 55.6 per cent of all patents registered. (Interestingly, California represents about 22 per cent of that total.) Second is Japan with 19.7 per cent and Germany is third with 5.9 per cent. Next come Taiwan (2.7 per cent), France (2.4 per cent), UK (2.3 per cent) and South Korea and Canada (both with 2.2 per cent). No-one else has more than 1 per cent. This means there could be a lot of poor nations … so, no change there, then!