Business-related inventions are the inventions in which a method to carry out business is realized through information and communication technology (ICT).

Recent trends show that the number of patent applications in the field of business-related inventions has been increasing still gradually starting from 2012 and 13,411 application was filed in 2022 (see Graph 1).  This increase is assumed to be caused by the R&D being activated in the solution business under the circumstances in which the industrial structure is shifted from “product” oriented one to “experience” oriented one.  Other reasons can be the expansion of business sectors, such as the financial sector, where new ICT-based services are being developed due to the spread of smartphones and SNS as well as advances in AI and IoT technologies.

<Graph 1>

Green column: the number of business-related inventions with main feature(s) in other technical fields

Blue column: the number of business-related inventions with the business-related aspect itself being the main feature

The grant rate of business-related inventions has been rising year by year and is recently around 70%, which is similar to that of other technical fields (see Graph 2).

<Graph 2>

Blue column: the number of decisions to grant a patent

Red column: the number of decisions of refusal

Line graph: grant rate

See the below link (in Japanese only):

https://www.jpo.go.jp/system/patent/gaiyo/sesaku/biz_pat.html#anchor2-1

Section 2, 2-1