Philips announced that it is the second largest patent applicant in the world for patents filed at the European Patent Office (EPO). Philips filed 2,317 patent applications in 2014, an increase of 26% compared to 2013 when the company held the third position in the annual ranking, according to the 2014 Patent Applicant Ranking announced by the EPO. “We are very proud of this ranking and it represents an endorsement of our continued commitment to innovation as a company”, said Brian Hinman, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Royal Philips. “Intellectual Property is an important, strategic and value-creating business asset for Philips and our IP strategy aligns one for one with the overall Philips business strategy. Philips’ Intellectual Property & Standards organization provides world-class IP solutions for each of the Philips businesses to support the company’s growth, competitiveness, profitability and new business opportunities. Our current IP Portfolio consists of 71,000 patents, 47,000 trademarks, 92,000 design rights and 4,900 domain names. Impressive numbers, yet for us, the quality and value of our IP portfolio is even more important than quantity”.