Nanotechnology R&D Grows in Beauty Industry According to Thomson Reuters Intellectual Property Analysis

By Thomson Reuters Ip Solutions, PRNE
Monday, July 12, 2010

Global study shows growth in nanotechnology-based personal care products and brands

EAGAN, Minnesota, July 13, 2010 - Small particles are becoming a big business for the world's personal care
products manufacturers according to an analysis of world patent activity
published today by the IP Solutions business of Thomson Reuters. The new
report, Can Nanotech Unlock the Fountain of Youth?, finds that the beauty
industry has begun to make an aggressive foray into nanotechnology, using
tiny molecular compounds to improve the performance of creams, sunscreens,
shampoos and other personal-care products.

The report tracks unique inventions published in patent applications and
granted patents from 2003 to 2009, along with trademark data from 2000
through 2009, to identify the companies and areas of nanotechnology
innovation showing the sharpest growth in this industry. The findings
include:

    - Nanotech Growth Accelerates: The volume of innovative patents
      involving nanotechnology in beauty and personal-care items grew by 103%
      over the last seven years, more than doubling from 181 patents in 2003
      to 367 in 2009.
    - Specialty Chemical Companies Stake Claim: While L'Oreal and
      Amorepacific were early innovators in the development of nanotech-based
      beauty products, a great deal of new innovation in the field comes from
      companies that one would not traditionally associate with the cosmetics
      industry, including Fujifilm and BASF. Of 367 unique inventions filed
      in 2009, 10 were by Fujifilm; 9 were by BASF and 7 were by
      Amorepacific.
    - "Nano" Trademarks: From 2000 through the end of 2009, a total of 217
      personal-care brands that incorporate the term "nano" were trademarked
      in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, European Community and
      WIPO; the second half of that period (2005 - 2009) had 575% more
      registered marks than the first half (2000 - 2004).

The data in this report was compiled using the Thomson Reuters Derwent
World Patents Index(R) (DWPI(SM)) database, for patent research, and
SERION(R), for trademarks, to identify global innovation and brand activity
in nanotechnology for personal care products. Patent and trademark activity
are being used as a benchmark for innovation. The patent research aggregates
granted documents and published applications (examined and unexamined) in
2003 and 2009. Results from both time periods were then compared to determine
the overall growth trend over the last seven years.

To view the full report, Can Nanotech Unlock the Fountain of Youth?,
please click here:
ip.thomsonreuters.com/info/nanotech/Nanotechnology_061510_f.pdf

About Thomson Reuters

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Laura Gaze, IP Solutions, +1-203-868-3340, laura.gaze at thomsonreuters.com, or John Roderick, J. Roderick Inc., +1-631-656-9736, john at jroderick.com

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