Chinese and US firms neck-and-neck in drone patent quality, report finds
While China leads in volume of drone patent filings, US firms match them in total patent asset value
Quick Look
- A LexisNexis report reveals that while Chinese firms account for 44% of global drone patent filings compared to 17% for US firms, the two nations are equal in total patent asset value.
- DJI's dominance in filings has significantly declined since 2018.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
DJI held approximately 24% of the industry's total patents at the end of 2018. The current landscape shows a shift toward more distributed patent ownership among global firms.
Chinese and US firms are “neck-and-neck” in the quality battle for the next generation of drone patents, despite China having a lead in volume, a study published on Thursday shows.
Chinese companies accounted for 44 per cent of the world’s drone patent filings in 2024, against 17 per cent for American firms, according to a report published by LexisNexis. Measured by value, however, US drone patents were on a par with China’s, leaving the two countries roughly even in total global patent asset value for the technology, as calculated by LexisNexis.
DJI, the Shenzhen-based global industry leader, has also been losing its dominance in patent filings, holding only 4 per cent of the industry’s total patent assets, barely ahead of US firms such as Boeing and Amazon, according to the report.
This compares with roughly 24 per cent of the industry’s total patents held by DJI at the end of 2018, which was more than all the other companies in the top 10 combined.
Open Questions
- What specific technological domains are driving the US patent value?
- How will DJI respond to the loss of its dominant market share in filings?
