Boston Patent Numbers Continue to Climb in Third Quarter of 2012

BOSTON, MA (10/18/2012)(readMedia)-- Hoffman Warnick LLC (HW), an intellectual property law firm with offices in Boston, Albany and Rochester, has released the Boston Patent Index for Third Quarter of 2012. The "Boston Patent Index" includes patent issuances to inventors and companies residing within the Boston Metro Area*.

Following the continuing trend in the Boston Metro Area, the total number of patent issuances increased again in the Third Quarter of 2012, with a total number of 1,424. This represents an increase over the Third Quarter of 2011 (1,220) and the Second Quarter of 2012 (1,418). The number of published patent applications (1,735) remained high in the Third Quarter. Published patent applications are an indicator of increased patent filings within the last two years, as patent applications are traditionally published 18 months after filing.

"The third 2012 Quarterly Index illustrates to us that patent filings in Boston have bounced back from lows during the recent recession. I believe we can take this as an indicator that the Boston region continues to believe it its innovation engine," states Matthew B. Pinckney, a patent attorney in Hoffman Warnick's Boston Office.

The "Patent of the Quarter" was awarded to International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), a client of Hoffman Warnick, for US Patent Number 8,244,776, entitled, "Method And Device For Customizing A Mail History." IBM's first-named inventor on this patent is from the Boston Metropolitan Area.

Matthew Pinckney further stated: "The Third Quarter 2012 data reinforces our belief that Boston-area companies and inventors believe in the US patent system and the returns on their technology investments. We are always happy to see patent numbers remain high, particularly during uncertain economic times."

To obtain a pdf of this quarter's Patent Index, please e-mail hwemail@hoffmanwarnick.com or visit www.hoffmanwarnick.com.

About Hoffman Warnick LLC: Hoffman Warnick LLC is an intellectual property law firm focusing on biotechnology, nanotechnology, computers and software, electrical, mechanical, chemical, and materials engineering. Hoffman Warnick is committed to providing the highest quality services including: domestic and international property rights procurement, dispute resolution, and licensing.

* - The Boston Metro Area is defined for the purposes of this index as those counties/zip codes located within the Interstate 95/Route 128 corridor. All individuals and companies having at least one inventor residing within this Area, or a registration address within this Area, were part of the Boston Patent Index.