The European Patent Office was ranked first among the five largest Patent Offices in terms of patent quality and level of service in a recent survey of patent professionals worldwide by Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) magazine.   The latest IAM benchmarking survey is based on responses received earlier this year from more than 650 corporate IP managers, non-practicing entity (NPE) executives, and private practice lawyers and attorneys.   When asked about their perceptions of the quality of the patents granted by each of the five largest IP offices in the world, 60% of corporate respondents rated EPO grants as either "excellent" or "very good". Among private practice respondents, 62% rated EPO quality as either excellent or very good. For NPE executives, the figures were 56% with excellent or very good.   In terms of the level of service provided by the IP5 offices, the EPO also ranked first in the survey, with all categories of respondents rating it number one.   In addition, 14% of corporate and private practice respondents and 19% of NPEs considered that the quality of the EPO's services had improved over the last year.   The other offices included in the survey are the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China (SIPO), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).   If you have any questions concerning this newsletter, please contact us.   This IP Alert is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. 