Starting with a search – Open vs Closed Innovation in the Post-COVID era (Part 2)
Traditionally, companies have used a closed patent strategy designed to protect and prolong the lifecycle of existing technologies from competitors. Patents remain a popular way of safeguarding original work, with almost 188,600 applications received by the EPO in 2021 – a 4.5% increase, showing a significant recovery from the small decline recorded in 2020 due to the pandemic.