Figure 6 



Patents Awarded to U.S. Nationals by 

 Foreign Countries and to Foreign Nationals 

 by the U.S. 1966-70 



(Thousands) 

 35 I 



Figure 7 



U.S. Patent Balance with Selected Countries, 

 1966-70 



1966 67 bS 



SOURCE Woild Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva 



declined in each country, with the major reduc- 

 tion occurring in respect to France, followed by 

 smaller declines in relation to the United King- 

 dom, Japan, and West Germany in that order. 

 Declines in the U.S. balance vis-a-vis France, 

 United Kingdom, and West Germany were due 

 principally to reductions in the number of 

 patents awarded to U.S. nationals; conversely, 

 the decline with respect to Japan was produced 

 largely by an increasing number of awards to 

 that country by the United States. 



Thus, the U.S. patent position, while still 

 favorable in 1970, was eroding for two reasons: 

 (a) a declining number of foreign patents of U.S. 

 origin and (b) an increasing number of U.S. 

 patents of foreign origin. 



PRODUCTIVITY, TECHNOLOGY 

 TRANSFER, AND BALANCE OF TRADE 



Science and technology play an important role 

 in industrial innovation, productivity, economic 

 growth, and trade among nations. They repre- 

 sent, however, only one component in the com- 

 plex matrix of factors which determine the tech- 

 nological and economic position of a nation. The 

 numerous other variables involved (legal, finan- 

 cial, social, market, etc.) make it difficult to 

 specify the exact role and contribution of any 

 single factor — such as R&D. 



In discussing productivity, technology trans- 

 fer, and balance of trade, comparisons are limited 



12 



