Global patent filings continue to rise, and China continues to outpace the rest of the world. Digital communications and semiconductor technologies continued to show strong growth, according to statistics released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
WIPO reported that in 2025, global patent applications filed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty rose 0.7 percent to reach 275,900 filings worldwide, marking a second consecutive years of growth. WIPO notes that the increase was partly due to robust activity in ICT related fields, with digital communication remaining as the top category (11.1 percent) of published PCT applications, while semiconductors recorded one of the fastest growth rates among all leading areas of international patents.
China contributed the largest volume with 73,718 PCT applications, expanding its activity by 5.3 percent. The United States submitted 52,617 applications, followed by Japan with 47,922, the South Korea with 25,016 and Germany with 16,441.
“International patent filings – particularly in digital communication and semiconductor technologies – reflect how digital technologies continue to drive the global innovation landscape,” said WIPO director general Daren Tang. “AI is the latest engine of this growth and will increasingly transform how we innovate. In this world of shortened innovation and business cycles, WIPO will work hard to ensure that our Global IP Services keeps pace with the changing expectations of our customers, making what we offer more efficient, more digital and more customer centered, so that entrepreneurs and enterprises can continue using the PCT, Madrid and Hague systems to secure IP protection across borders.”
Other prominent fields include computer technology (9.6 percent), electrical machinery (9.0 percent), medical technology (6.3 percent) and pharmaceuticals (4.3 percent). Together, these five fields represented just over 40 percent of all published PCT applications. Among the top 10 technology fields, digital communication (+6.1 percent) and semiconductors (+6.1 percent) saw the fastest growth rates in 2025.
Filing trends varied by region, WIPO noted, with China and South Korea posting growth of 5.3 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, more established innovation hubs showed modest contractions: the U.S. declined 3.0 percent (its fourth consecutive year of decline), Japan fell 1.0 percent (third consecutive year) and Germany decreased 1.8 percent. (also its third successive year).
China’s Huawei Technologies led all filers with 7,523 published applications, maintaining this position since 2017.
As China’s participation in international patent, trademark and, indeed, other forms of intellectual property, continue to increase at a staggering rate, it is no surprise that we have seen a commensurate increase in top-flight IP work being done there. Asia IP asked a large number of professionals – mostly in-house counsel and corporate legal managers – what they were looking for from their legal service providers. From their answers, we have compiled our list of China’s 101 IP Experts, those lawyers who understand just what their clients need and are able to provide them with the best practical advice.
Top-notch individuals are easy to come by in Beijing, Shanghai and in the Greater Bay Area, which includes mainland cities like Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, and are increasingly easy to come by in other regions of the country, as well. While a few large, traditional firms continue to place multiple lawyers on our list, they are increasingly challenged by smaller upstarts, which are often formed by alumni of the older firms, blending the traditions of those firms with a fresher outlook and a, perhaps, more innovative, nimble approach.
Unitalen Attorneys at Law led the list, placing six lawyers (Bing Li, Deshan Li, Wei Pan, Yaqi Tan, Ray Lei Zhao and Yi Zheng) on our list. CCPIT Patent & Trademark Law Office (Jianzhong Kang, Chuanhong Long, Shaohui Yuan and Ling Zhao); Lung Tin Intellectual Property Agent (Ping Sui, Deland Wu, Qinghong Xu and Jacob Zhang); and NTD Intellectual Property Attorneys (Heather Lin, Christopher Shaowei, Christopher Shen and June Wang) each placed four on the list.
Seven firms had three lawyers on the list: Beijing Uni-intel Patent and Trademark Law Firm (Johnson Ge, Amy Gong and Gump Wang); East IP (Xiaodong Li, Jason Wang and Yan Zhang); GoldenGate Lawyers (Tim Meng, Vincent Su and Linda Zhao); IntellecPro (Qi Hu, Yonghong Qi and Tian-Ying Zhao); King & Wood (Wenping Chen, Gordon Gao and Tina Tai); Liu, Shen & Associates (Lily Changxin Lei, Michelle Ma and Allen F. Tao); and Sunshine Intellectual Property (Min Li, Jacky Zhang and Jiangang Zhang).
No other firm placed more than two lawyers on the list, tallying up an impressive total of 57 different law firms represented on our list – an all-time high for the number of firms represented – demonstrating clearly that while the largest firms might still remain in the lead, that lead may not be as large as they think it is. The upstarts are hot on their heels.
Most of the lawyers named to our list have multiple practice specialties. Many of them are litigators, while others concentrate on prosecution work or provide strategic advice.
All of them have something in common: they are experts in their fields and, in one way or another, they provide extra value for their clients. They are Asia IP’s China IP Experts. – GREGORY GLASS
