Clean energy patents show an upward trend; “green” trademark applications reveal a significant spike. Stronger regulations and the need for alternative sources of energy in the face of rising fuel prices have resulted in many energy-efficient innovations.

What exactly does “green” mean in today’s world? The color that served as a symbol of environmental protection and social justice in 1970s politics is now used in connection with a wide variety of environment-friendly, clean energy products and services in the marketplace. These encompass three technology fields – pollution control and waste management, renewable energy and motor vehicle abatement.

Two recent trends point to the fact that the intellectual property world is indeed turning green: the increase in clean energy patents and the growth of “green” trademarks.

An article, OECD Science: Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2007, confirmed that patents in environment-related technologies have increased recently. Those related to renewable energy – which includes wind, solar, geothermal, wave and tide, biomass and waste – have exhibited the most rapid growth. And patent activity in motor abatement innovations is no less strong, due perhaps to stricter regulations and foreign regulatory pressure. It is also interesting to note that Europe leads the world overall in all these technologies, with the US and Japan following closely.

Tracking innovating activity in clean energy.

The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) published quarterly by the CleanTechGroup, tracks the granting of US patents in the following areas: solar, wind, hybrid/electric vehicles, fuel cells, hydroelectric, tidal/wave, geothermal, biomass/biofuels. It is thus an indication of the efforts and resources put into the development of clean energy innovation.

Their latest figures (4^th quarter 2007) show 227 US-granted patents, up from the 3^rd quarter of the same year. Although the CEPGI total for 2007 was down relative to 2006, it was up over the latest five-year period. The leading clean energy patent owners include automotive companies ( Honda, General Motors, Toyota and Ford) and fuel cell companies (Plug Power, Ballard, UTC). In the solar energy arena, Canon, Sharp and Boeing dominate. Wind energy is powered by Aloys Wobben of Enercon GmbH.

 

Is a “green” trademark a selling point? According to an article in the CEPGI website, while there are no set guidelines regarding which technologies can use the term “green” (unlike the word “organic” which is regulated by the National Organic Standards Board), many consider the following definitions to be accurate. Green energy is energy that’s renewable, more efficient or environmentally friendly. Green power is electricity supplied, wholly or partly, from renewable energy sources.

A trademark search in the USPTO website for trademark applications of energy-related goods and services that incorporate “green” was compared to one related to “clean” and “renewable.” While the latter trademark applications increased slightly over the past five years, “green” applications were three to five times greater in 2007 than in 2006 and increased ten-fold since 2004. Does this say something about the advantage of using “green” as a trademark? Time will tell. And “green” brand owners can take comfort in the fact that USPTO trademark filings that include the word “organic” remain high despite ever more stringent standards.

The increase in clean energy patents and green-related trademarks is just one indication of how companies are boosting their brands through greener corporate values. This trend is explored in the coming Nordic Environmental Business Forum 2008 on June 2-3, 2008 in Stockholm Sweden.

As always, what happens in the intellectual property world is usually a mirror of what’s happening in business. In this case, all these figures indicate one thing: a rising trend in building a reputation for environmental and social responsibility.

* BPCouncil is a media partner of Nordic Environmental Business Forum 2008.