Published annually, the Australian IP Report presents the latest statistics and research on the use of intellectual property (IP) rights in Australia, including patents, trade marks, design rights, plant breeder’s rights and copyright.
The 2026 Australian IP Report is published at a moment of structural change in the global economy.
The international system that shaped innovation, trade and investment over the past 3 decades is being recalibrated. How economies operate is being reshaped by strategic competition, technology and trade policy. Cooperation continues, but increasingly through targeted alignment and trusted partnerships.
For Australia – an open, middle-power economy – these shifts intersect with a domestic agenda focused on productivity, business dynamism and globally competitive firms.
IP sits at the centre of this adjustment.
IP rights are important economic assets that underpin how many firms invest, scale, differentiate and participate in domestic markets and global value chains. As international trade, technology and investment patterns are being reshaped, Australian businesses continue to use intellectual property to enter new markets, compete and innovate. The report shows that IP is functioning as core economic infrastructure, supporting business activity, productivity and Australia’s engagement in global markets.
Figure 0.1
At a glance: IP rights statistics, 2025
Strong domestic engagement
Strong domestic engagement in a changing environment
Activity remained robust across the IP rights in 2025.
- Trade mark applications reached a new record high.
- Design filings also set new records.
- Standard patent filings were broadly stable, with notable shifts beneath the aggregate trends.
- Resident engagement – by entities domiciled in Australia – strengthened at the margin, including an increase in Australian patent filings and continued growth in resident trade mark activity.
Domestic participation has strengthened. In trade marks and designs – rights closely linked to market entry and competition – growth in resident filings signals sustained entrepreneurial activity and brand competition. In patents, resident filings increased even as total volumes stabilised, reinforcing that domestic research and development (R&D)-active firms continue to innovate.
This report introduces new firm-level research that sheds light on why this matters. The analysis shows that a firm’s first patent grant and first trade mark registration coincide with persistent increases in income and productivity. Patents are associated with persistent improvements in efficiency; trade marks with revenue expansion and labour productivity gains.
IP engagement frequently occurs at pivotal moments in a firm’s development. In that sense, the IP system functions as part of the economic infrastructure supporting productivity, competition and growth.
International realignment in filing behaviour
Beneath stable aggregate filing trends, patterns of international engagement have shifted.
In patents, the share of applications involving cross-border collaboration declined materially in 2025, even as total filings changed little. The decline was concentrated among several major locations of origin, most notably filings involving applicants from the United States. At the same time, Australia-linked collaboration proved comparatively resilient.
In trade marks, applications were received from a record number of overseas locations. Potentially, this reflects diversification in trade relationships in response to geopolitical and trade tensions. It may also reflect the increasing role of ecommerce platforms in facilitating broad market access.
In 2024 and 2025, China overtook the US as the leading overseas location of origin for new trade mark applications in Australia. The surge in filings from China far exceeds growth in bilateral trade volumes, this report shows. On one hand, as China’s economy has evolved, more goods are likely entering Australia under Chinese-owned brands, rather than as contract-manufactured products for foreign brand owners. At the same time, in recent years, e-commerce platforms have introduced brand verification systems that require sellers to register trade marks. As China’s ecommerce ecosystem rapidly develops, trade marks have become an important way in which firms access digitally-mediated markets.
Across patents and designs, filing trends reflect evolving industrial priorities across countries – including electrification, energy systems, health technologies and digitally-mediated services. This year’s report includes a special feature on Australia’s position in the global value chain for battery circularity technologies, developed in collaboration with the European Patent Office.
A well-calibrated system in an interconnected world
Innovation increasingly spans borders, and depends on complex value chains and shared technical standards. In this environment, IP settings influence not only domestic incentives for firms to innovate, but the way firms compete and coordinate internationally.
This year’s report reflects on what it means to calibrate an IP system in such a world. New research for IP Australia suggests that, even for a middle-power economy, patent policy is not merely a domestic instrument – it can shape technological competition beyond national borders. At the same time, a well-calibrated and internationally-aligned IP system supports investment and participation in global markets – for Australian firms and for businesses active in Australia.
IP data for decision makers
Alongside this report, IP Australia is expanding access to high-quality, open data that is updated weekly.
- IP Rights Overview, with easy-to-read infographics and visualisations of the latest IP trends.
- IP RAPID, providing detailed data on IP applications filed in Australia spanning more than 100 years, showing activity by applicants over time.
IP Australia’s research, data and analytical tools complement its comprehensive educational resources and services. Together, they support applicants to take a more proactive approach when navigating the IP system, take a advantage of its flexibility and its many routes and options for seeking effective protection.
Now in its 14th year, the Australian IP Report offers a rich account of IP activity in Australia to inform engagement between government, industry, researchers and the wider community. We welcome you to join the conversation.
- Web: Office of the Chief Economist.
- Email: chiefeconomist@ipaustralia.gov.au