2011 was record year for international trademarks, WIPO reports

The number of international trademark applications filed under the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks hit an all-time high in 2011, according to a WIPO press release. More than 42,200 applications were filed last year — a 6.5% increase over the number of applications filed in 2010. Countries with the largest growth in the number of trademark applications were the Russian Federation with a 35.6% jump, the European Union (24.5%), the US (15.5%), and China (11.5%).

European Union (EU) member countries filed more than 50% of the trademarks (24,275). Within the EU filings, applications filed with the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market ranked highest at 5,859, followed sequentially by applications from Germany, the US, France, and Switzerland.

Top trademark filing companies included Novartis, Philip Morris, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma, Richter Gedeon Nyrt, Nestlé, Philips, and BMW.

The WIPO-administered Madrid system offers a trademark owner the possibility of having a mark protected in up to 85 countries by filing one application, in one language (English, French or Spanish), with one set of fees, in one currency (Swiss Francs).