

IP 101
The history of innovation is robust and full of surprises. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the hard work of countless innovators, their passion to improve the world and the support IP provided.
From the lightbulb to the automatic telegraph, Thomas Edison made sure to protect his inventions, accumulating over 1,000 patents.
By the end of 2022 over 12 billion COVID-19 vaccines had been distributed around the globe, thanks in part to IP protections.
Innovators continue to turn to patents to protect their work. In the first quarter of 2022 alone, 1.1 million patents were filed worldwide.
Artists rely on copyrights to protect their work – including books, plays, movies and music!
On average, the time to first generic competition for a patented medicine is around 13 years, much shorter than the patent term of 20 years.
IP protections exist across the healthcare sector. For example, a medical school may possess a method patent on a new procedure they discover.
IP rights helped encourage innovation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Weakening these protections could disincentivize research and development, leaving global communities at risk to disease.
Innovators invest blood, sweat and tears into their ideas. But how do these ideas reach the rest of the world? Learn more about how innovations move from concept to market and how we can protect them.
The number of patents filed globally in 2021
Stay up to date on the latest on IP and innovation from across the globe.