EUIPO ranked world's most innovative IP office for fifth time

• EUIPO ranked most innovative IP registry in the world for fifth time
• Exclusive research sees IP Australia rise four places to third 
• Analysis finds budgetary pressures at multiple agencies, with more lobbying needed to help support less-resourced offices

In exclusive research published today, WTR can reveal that the EUIPO has been named the most innovative IP agency in the world. The results of WTR’s sixth IP Office Innovation Ranking reveal the trademark agencies that are breaking boundaries in non-core tools and services, and those that do not offer even the most basic functions – with associations urged to lobby for more financial and technical support for less-resourced offices. 

WTR’s IP Office Innovation Ranking is a multi-year project to identify how IP offices are using and developing value-add, non-core offerings for users. The project highlights the ways in which many IP offices are expanding beyond managing IP registers and shines a light on registries with gaps in particular tools and services. 

This year, we studied 50 IP offices around the world, analysing metrics including: 

• effectiveness of web tools; 
• use of AI and chatbots; and  
• cooperation with customs officials.

The EUIPO has come out top for the fifth time. Only the IP Office of Singapore outranked the EUIPO in 2020, and the Korean IP Office came level with the EUIPO in 2022. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, the EUIPO topped the list outright.

The result once again reflects the EUIPO’s approach to pushing boundaries through innovation and its unrivalled offering of digital tools and services – including its cutting-edge uses of AI and blockchain. 

The ranking also sees improvements at other offices. IP Australia has climbed the ranking to third place, having ranked sixth in 2022. Its rise has been spurred by the office's expansion of APIs and improved digital capabilities. 

The Polish Patent Office is also on the up, rising from 17th place in our 2022 analysis to seventh place this year. The Thai Department of Intellectual Property has also risen from 30th in 2022 to sixth today. 

IP Office Innovation Ranking 2024: top 20

Users have raised concerns elsewhere, though. For example, some offices do not offer some of the most basic functions (eg, trademark e-filing or social media accounts), while local practitioners say that some agencies lack resources and technical know-how to conduct anything more than administrative operations. 

The evidence uncovers budgetary and technical pressures at multiple IP agencies, suggesting that both practitioners and IP associations have a larger role to play in pressing governments for sufficient resources. Failure to provide these resources could stifle the effectiveness of IP regimes in multiple jurisdictions. This, in turn, could have a knock-on effect on factors such as licensing, culture and the fight against counterfeiting.

The full analysis of our exclusive research is now available to WTR subscribers here.