It appears that they increased strongly in 2013, but this was due to a change in legislation triggering a rush in applications just prior to new arrangements taking effect. So the underlying trend is not clear. See http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/uploadedfiles/reports/intellectual-property-report-2014-low-res.pdf.
6  BIS central bankers’ speeches  Graph 5  Graph 6  Having talked a little about what monetary policy can do to help the current situation, I need to be clear that there are also things that it can’t do, and some things that it shouldn’t do.