Impact assessment after the first year of the new Spanish Patent Law

Abstract

The new Patent Law 24/2015 has produced a revision and an update of the invention protection system in Spain. This new legal framework aims to modernise and adapt the system of granting patents to the most developed countries and to promote a quality patent system that helps the internationalisation of companies. The article analyses the impact of a set of indicators, at quantitative and qualitative levels, in the short period of time that has elapsed since the entry into force of the new law, and has allowed identifying some trends that should be studied in the next years. From a quantitative point of view, there has been a decrease in the number of patent applications. Nevertheless, from the qualitative perspective, it can be affirmed that the objectives related to the increase in the quality of patent applications established in the new Patent Law are being met.