Thomson Scientific Publishes "World IP Today" Analyzing Global Patent Activity and Technology Innovations Over the Past Decade

Thomson Scientific Publishes "World IP Today" Analyzing Global Patent Activity and Technology Innovations Over the Past Decade

April 26, 2007

Reports Created in Observance of "World Intellectual
Property Day" as Declared by the World Intellectual
Property Organization (WIPO)

    PHILADELPHIA and LONDON, April 26 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/
-- 

    Thomson Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation
(NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information
solutions to the worldwide research and business
communities, today published two issues of World IP Today
in global observance of "World Intellectual Property
Day" as declared by the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO).

    "Thomson Scientific enjoyed the opportunity to
support WIPO by celebrating World Intellectual Property
Day," said Stephen Trotter, Senior Patent Analyst,
Thomson Scientific.  "Further, we were inspired by
this year's theme: Encouraging Creativity and thought it
appropriate to evaluate the global IP landscape to
determine which countries are forging change in the areas
of patents and technology innovation."

    World IP Today: A Thomson Scientific Report On Global
Patent Activity from 1997-2006 highlights patent output
from the G8 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States)
plus China and South Korea. Findings indicate:

    -- Global patent activity has grown by 72% over the
past
       decade with a 34% increase in "unique
inventions" or
       brand new inventions
    -- Since 1997, the U.S. and China have shown the most
       impressive growth with 145% and 470% increases
       respectively, encroaching on Japan's still-leading
       position
    -- China dominates unique inventions by academia, with
an
       eight-fold increase since 1997
    -- South Korea matures as an innovative nation and
       safeguards more inventions worldwide than ever
before
    -- Despite China's surge in patent activity, there is
little
       focus on protecting Chinese intellectual property
outside
       of China

    World IP Today: A Thomson Scientific Report On Global
Technology Innovations from 1997-2006 reviews the massive
increase in technology innovations developed globally over
the past ten years (1997-2006), highlighting tri-lateral
inventions or inventions that have been filed in the U.S.,
Europe and Japan.  Among the key findings:

    -- Inventions relating to semiconductors,
telecommunications
       and computing experience huge growth rates of 75%,
86%
       and 172% respectively since 1997
    -- Japan can be credited with the current state of
today's
       high-tech market, holding the majority share of
       tri-lateral inventions across all technologies in
2006
    -- Samsung is the top patent assignee in tri-lateral
       inventions for 2006
    -- Samsung and Denso lead the way in diversified
       multinationals in terms of tri-lateral inventions in
2006

    For complete copies of these Thomson Scientific
"World IP Today" reports, including the
methodology behind the findings, please visit:
http://scientific.thomson.com/press/insight/ 

    For more information on World Intellectual Property
Day, please visit the World Intellectual Property
Organization website at:
http://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/world_ip/2007 

    About The Thomson Corporation

    The Thomson Corporation ( http://www.thomson.com ) is a
global leader in providing essential electronic workflow
solutions to business and professional customers.  With
operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson
provides value-added information, software tools and
applications to professionals in the fields of law, tax,
accounting, financial services, scientific research and
healthcare.  The Corporation's common shares are listed on
the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX:
TOC). 

    Thomson Scientific is a business of The Thomson
Corporation.  Its information solutions assist
professionals at every stage of research and
development-from discovery to analysis to product
development and distribution. Thomson Scientific
information solutions can be found at
scientific.thomson.com.


    For more information, please contact:

     Allison Hagan
     Thomson Scientific
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]