Lynge, Denmark – April 14, 2021 – WS Audiology is ranked as the top patent applicant for conventional hearing assistive technology, according to the 2021 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) report, which uses patent and other data from 1998 to 2019 to provide factual evidence on innovation in the global assistive tech landscape.
WS Audiology leads the top 30 patent applicants by number of patent families first filed for patent protection in the conventional hearing assistive technology category for the past 21 years. The category comprises hearing aids and induction loops with the exception of implantable hearing aids.
“WS Audiology is one of the most innovative hearing aid companies in the world, helping millions of people regain and benefit from the miracle of hearing. Over the last 5–10 years, we have developed our patent strategy from a quantitative to more of a qualitative approach, focusing on patents that have the most short-, mid-, and long-term value for us. The impressive ranking in the WIPO report demonstrates how the consistent execution of our IP strategy results in a solid portfolio of patents”, stated Stefan Menzl, Chief R&D Officer at WS Audiology.
The patent filing and protection strategy of WS Audiology ensures that most inventions nowadays are protected in three or more jurisdictions. Traditionally, the U.S. and Europe have been the preferred markets for inventions in this category. However, companies are starting to turn to Asian markets as well, and patent filings in China are already led by WS Audiology.
“We focus on creating a favorable climate for a variety of innovations as this fuels our product pipeline and attracts innovative talent, which is crucial to WS Audiology and our ambition of unlocking human potential by making wonderful sound part of everyone’s life. We are excited about the recognition of our efforts in the 2021 WIPO report and will continue to boost our innovation capabilities going forward”, said Eric Bernard, WS Audiology President and CEO.
