The United States has retained its lead as the world's most inventive country, accounting for 27.9 per cent of all international patent applications in 2013, according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), which tracks patent applications in 148 nations.

But China is closing fast, with a 15.6 per cent increase in its applications, compared with the US' increase of 10.8 per cent, the organisation reports.

The US total was boosted by its universities, which occupied nine of the top 10 positions in filing by education institutions.

"I think it's an indicator of the restart of the American economic engine, with technology and innovation as the driver of that engine," Francis Gurry, director-general of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, told McClatchy.

A record 205,300 international patent applications were filed under the organisation's Patent Co-operation treaty, the global accord that allows inventors and industry to obtain patent protection in multiple countries.

The US accounted for 57,239 filings. Japan was No 2, with 43,918. But that was up a mere 0.6 per cent, while China pushed into the No 3 position with 21,516 applications, surpassing Germany.

The largest single category for patent applications was electriconic machinery and energy, with 7.8 per cent of the total, followed closely by applications for computer technology and digital communication. Medical technology made up 6.2 per cent of applications and pharmaceuticals, four per cent.

The record number of filings, Gurry said, "attest to the importance of intellectual property in the global innovation ecosystem".

While the US accounted for the most patent applications, the single largest individual filer was Japanese company Panasonic Corp, which filed for protection on 2,881 inventions or innovations. China's ZTE Corp was No 2, with 2,309.

The US corporation with the most applications was Qualcomm Inc, which, with 2,036 applications, ranked fourth in the world, followed by Intel Corp at No 5, with 1,852.

Among American universities, the report showed the University of California with 398 applications, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with 217, Columbia University with 133, and the University of Texas and Harvard University, both with 119.

In all, 31 US universities were ranked in the top 50.

The only non-US educational institution in the coveted top 10 rankings was the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which was ranked seventh with 105 filings.

The US spends nearly 2.8 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) on research and development, according to the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. China spent 1.98 per cent of GDP on research and development in 2012 while the European Union spent 1.97 per cent of GDP.

The US by far is the No 1 recipient of royalty and licensing fees from patents and copyrights. Including sound recordings and movies, US businesses took in more than $US124 billion ($A136.68 billion) in royalties and licensing fees in 2012, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). No 2, the Netherlands, took in $US29.6 billion.

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