In 2008 there were 3,488 inventions applied for at the Austrian Patent Office. 2,627 of these applications related to patents, and in 861 cases utility models were applied for. The number of submitted technical innovations remained on a constantly high level.
Like in the last year in the ranking of provinces Upper Austria is ahead with 744 applications of inventions followed by Vienna with 556. 2008 Styria is on third place again with 469 applications.
The highest proportion of inventions derive from the working methods sector and transport (25%), from everyday living requirements (20%) and mechanical engineering (16%). These sectors also correspond to the most significant sectors from past years as well.
| Austrian Patent Office | |
| European Patent Office |
Granting of invention rights for Austrians
At the Austrian Patent Office: 1.657
At the European Patent Office: 625
| Austrian Patent Office | |
| European Patent Office |
The number of maintained invention protective rights for Austrians and non-Austrians rises constantly.
In 2008 there were 8,263 national trademark applications made to the Austrian Patent Office. 7,251 applications derived from Austrians, corresponding to a domestic proportion of 87.8%.
In 2008 the number of trademark registrations remained on a constantly high level.
The number of trademark rights also rose again in 2008. By year's end 2008 there were 114,671 signs protected as national trademarks. Some 228,000 signs are protected as international and more than 350,000 as community trademarks.
| applications | |
| registrations |
Application and registration activity in the design sector has increased somewhat in 2008.
| appeals | ||
| applications for nullity |
The Austrian Patent Office is also responsible for dispute proceedings relating granting and maintaining of protection rights as well as for legal recourse against the decisions of the technical divisions and the legal departments. At the Patent Office, these matters are dealt with by the Appeal and Nullity Departments. Taking all types of protective rights into consideration, in 2008 80 appeals and 177 applications for nullity were brought against decisions by the Patent Office. It is possible to appeal against the decisions by the Appeal and Nullity Departments before the Patent and Trademark High Court of Appeal (the "Oberste Patent- und Markensenat"), and in 2008 a total of 33 appeals were brought before this court.
The number of personnel in the Sovereignty Sector has decreased to 207.
In 2008 the Sovereignty Sector generated approximately 33 million Euros, against outgoings of 18.1 million Euros.
| expenditure | 2008 |
| personnell expenditure | 11.356.627,68 |
| material expenditure | 6.702.540,30 |
| total expenditure 2008: | 18.059.167,98 |
| revenue | 2008 |
| patent fees | 3.899.776,56 |
| trademark fees | 4.878.999,89 |
| publication fees | 2.230.846,00 |
| anual fees from European Patents | 20.344.039,54 |
| fees according to Utility Models | 614.766,20 |
| fees according to Industrial Design Protection Law | 249.601,04 |
| international trademark registration | 516.922,64 |
| other fees | 220.512,90 |
| other revenues | 20.783,96 |
| total revenues 2008: | 32.976.248,73 |
The serv.ip service sector has continued with its national and international success story. In the statements of accounts for 2008 appropriate reserves are included.
| ASSETS | Fiscalyear | Previous year | ||
| in EUR | in 1000 EUR | |||
| A. FIXED ASSETS | ||||
| I. Intangible Assets | ||||
| 1. Industrial and similar rights and assets and licences insuch rights and assets | 31.567,37 | 49,3 | ||
| II. Tangible Assets | ||||
| 1. Buildings on third party land | 5.606,60 | 7,5 | ||
| 2. Other equipment, factory and office equipment | 401.691,93 | 407.298,53 | 504,0 | 510,5 |
| III. Financial Assets | ||||
| 1. Securities | 3.685.532,57 | 3.685.532,57 | 3.895,5 | |
| 4.124.398,47 | 4.455,4 | |||
| B. CURRENT ASSETS | ||||
| I. Inventories | ||||
| 1. Services rendered, not yet chargeable | 161.769,68 | 203,5 | ||
| II. Receivables and other assets | ||||
| 1. Account receivable-trade | 871.155,49 | 1.334,8 | ||
| 2. Other receivables | 365.807,42 | 1.236.962,91 | 262,5 | 1.597,3 |
| III. Cash on hand and in banks | 1.986.617,09 | 1.754,8 | ||
| 3.385.349,68 | 3.555,6 | |||
| C. PREPAID EXPENSES | ||||
| 1. Prepaid expenses | 9.686,97 | 7,8 | ||
| Total ASSETS | 7.519.435,12 | 8.018,8 |
| LIABILITIES | Fiscalyear | Previous year | ||
| in EUR | in 1000 EUR | |||
| A. EQUITY | ||||
| I. Reserves from retained earnings | ||||
| 1. Other reserves | 102.444,64 | 102.444,64 | 102,4 | 102,4 |
| II. Balance sheet profit | ||||
| 1. Profit carryforward | 4.026.646,88 | 4.120,4 | ||
| 2. Loss current year | -961.669,74 | 3.064.977,14 | -93,7 | 4.026,6 |
| 3.167.421,78 | 4.129,1 | |||
| B. ACCRUALS | ||||
| 1. Accruals for severance payments | 147.947,78 | 147,9 | ||
| 2. Accruals for taxes | 385.451,62 | 0,0 | ||
| 3. Other accruals | 3.420.943,00 | 3.990.005,75 | 3.289,5 | 3.437,5 |
| C. LIABILITIES | ||||
| 1. Accounts payable - trade | 102.267,93 | 161,7 | ||
| 2. Other liabilities | 259.739,66 | 362.007,59 | 290,5 | 452,2 |
| Total LIABILITIES and EQUITY | 7.519.435,12 | 8.018,8 |
| Fiscalyear | Previous year | |||
| in EUR | in 1000 EUR | |||
| 1. Sales | ||||
| a) Domestic sales | 1.729.351,68 | 1.670,9 | ||
| b) Intra-community sales | 1.451.259,99 | 1.270,8 | ||
| c) Foreign sales non-taxable | 912.570,50 | 4.093.182,17 | 1.321,1 | 4.262,8 |
| 2. Increase or decrease in | ||||
| inventory | -41.755,37 | 34,9 | ||
| 3. Operating income | 4.051.426,80 | 4.297,7 | ||
| 4. Other operating income | ||||
| a) Sundry | 265.779,17 | 265.779,17 | 261,9 | 261,9 |
| 5. Costs of materials and services | ||||
| a) Costs of services | -258.947,39 | -258.947,39 | -277,6 | -277,6 |
| 6. Personnel expenses | ||||
| a) Wages | -2.473,88 | 0,0 | ||
| b) Salaries | -2.444.362,50 | -2.232,1 | ||
| c) Expenses for severance pay | -62.309,36 | -32,7 | ||
| d) Expenses for pension funds | -10.413,90 | -9,7 | ||
| e) Expenses für social security payments | -610.127,59 | -604,4 | ||
| f) Other social benefits | -25.673,13 | -3.155.360,36 | -50,6 | -2.929,6 |
| 7. Amortization | ||||
| a) of intangible assets and tangible assets | -182.482,04 | -343,5 | ||
| 8. Other operating expenses | ||||
| a) Taxes except income taxes | -278.319,95 | |||
| b) Sundry | -1.079.368,03 | -1.357.687,98 | -726,9 | -1.297,5 |
| 9. Operating profit | -637.271,80 | -288,6 | ||
| 10. Financial result | -217.266,27 | 194,4 | ||
| 11. Net operating income | -854.538,07 | -94,2 | ||
| 12. Taxes on income | -107.131,67 | −0,0 | ||
| 13. Loss current year | -961.669,74 | -94,2 | ||
| 14. Profit carryforward | 4.026.646,88 | 4.120,4 | ||
| 15. Balance sheet profit | 3.064.977,14 | 4.026,2 |
In 2008 2135 searches and written opinions were prepared by Patent Services.
In 2008 our Service Team handled a total of 110,179 search orders on a national, EU, and world-wide level, and 50,921 on-line information issues of all kinds.