Yearly number of US patent applications (utility, design and plants - vast majority are utility), versus USGDP divided by $25,000,000. If one views patent applications as insurance while commercializing innovation, then since R&D funding tends to track GDP, so too will the number of patent applications.

Also displayed is the SP500 scaled by 400. This graph tends to track both GDP and the number of patent applications, which might not be surprising - SP500 represents corporate profits, a fraction of which is spent on patent applications. However, also displayed is the Japanese version of the SP500, the Nikkei 225, many companies of which file many U.S. patent applications. Yet, much like the Japanese economy, the Nikkei has remained flat for decades. This could be an argument for a lack of connection between patents and stock prices.

Trademark registrations correlate with, but lag, the S&P 500.

TABLE OF DATA TO CUT-AND-PASTE

YEAR	# US Apps	GDP	SP500(*400)	Nikkei*10
1980	105046	27881	54304	0
1981	107513	31268	49020	0
1982	116731	32532	56256	0
1983	97448	35346	65972	0
1984	109539	39309	66896	0
1985	116427	42175	84512	130830
1986	121611	44601	96868	188210
1987	126407	47364	98832	215640
1988	137069	51004	111088	301590
1989	151331	54821	141360	389160
1990	163571	58005	132088	238490
1991	167715	59921	166836	229840
1992	172539	63423	174284	169250
1993	174553	66674	186580	174170
1994	186123	70852	183708	197230
1995	221304	74147	246372	198680
1996	191116	78385	296296	193610
1997	220773	83324	388172	152590
1998	240090	87935	491692	138420
1999	261041	93535	587700	189340
2000	293244	99515	528112	137860
2001	326081	102862	459232	105430
2002	333688	106423	351928	85790
2003	333452	111422	444768	106770
2004	355527	118533	484768	114890
2005	384228	126230	499316	161110
2006	419760	133772	567320	172260
2007	441637	140287	587344	153080
2008	468869	142915	361300	88600
2009	460924	139737	446040	105460
2010	481483	144989	503056	102290
2011	506924	150757	503040	84550
2012	533308	156815	584876	103950