The German Patent and Trade Mark Office recently published statistics in their diverting column "Number of the month" on the increase in patent applications in the field of digitalisation having effect in Germany.

It is interesting to note that, in addition to the digitisation of existing technology and developments in digital technology, there has also been an increase in patent applications for "data processing methods for business management purposes" - of roughly 40% in relation to the figures of 2013, which even exceeds the average trend. 

Companies are therefore digitising their business models and seem to be increasingly placing particular importance on patent protection of the technical aspects involved.