Playing Around With Google Trends.

More drastically, the public interest in knowing about software patents has virtually vanished after the failure of the EU Draft Directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions in 2005:

Google Trends chart for "software patents"

Today, the topic "software patents" is dead as mud as far as the general public of Google users is concerned, despite to some attempts to re-vitalise earlier campaigns. Also the search volume for trademark has declined:

Google Trends chart for "trademark"

And, in view of the above-mentioned results it is hardly surprising that also the search volume for the term intellectual property is on the decline, too:

Google Trends chart for "intellectual property"

There is no exception for the search term European Patent Office:

Google Trends chart for "European Patent Office"

Google Trends chart for "innovation"

What, in the eyes of the general public, really matters are terms like crisis, banking or bailout:

Google Trends charts for "crisis", "banking", "bailout"

Some caution is required when interpreting Google Trend charts because of Google Inc. is quite reluctant to provide details of the exact meaning of the value indicated on the Y-axis of such diagrams. But some insights can be drawn from such investigations anyway: Don't expect that innovation, intellectual property or more particular issues like that are within the focus of the masses - and of the politicians elected by them.