Record Number of International Trademark Applications in 2005

Posted by PoyFR @Connectingwatches on February 13, 2006 - 01:00AM cet - IP : 81.250.144.105
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Article published by: Ag-IP-News February 11, 2006 WIPO Announces Record Number of International Trademark Applications in 2005 GENEVA - The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) announced in a Saturday press release that a record 33,565 international trademark applications were received in 2005 under the Madrid System for the International Registration of Trademarks. This represents a 13.9% increase on figures for 2004. Germany, for the 13th consecutive year, led the list of top filers. Applications from developing countries increased by 30.6% over 2004, with China topping the list of users. China also unseated Switzerland as the most designated country in international trademark applications. The "Madrid System" is a user-friendly and cost-effective service for the international registration of marks. "The overall performance of WIPO’s services to the private sector – in particular the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and the Madrid System - in 2005 has been exceptional and reflects the growing integration of these procedures into business strategies. I am confident that these trends will continue as realization of the concrete business advantages offered by these systems grows and as new countries come on board," said Kamil Idris, director general of WIPO. "Increasing usage of these systems by developing countries is also very encouraging and underlines the growing commitment of these countries to using the intellectual property system as a strategic tool for wealth creation," Idris noted. Commenting on the value of trademarks to business, he pointed out "In the highly competitive global marketplace, a business is fully identified by and associated with its brands. Arguably, brand value is one of the most important - if not the most important asset that a business holds." Idris added "Brands are powerful symbols that influence consumer choices and affect investment. Successful brands, underpinned by trademark protection, are a signal of a company’s ability to deliver on a promise." The largest share of the 33,565 international trademark applications received by WIPO in 2005 was filed by users in Germany (5,802 or 17.3% of the total), followed by users in France with 3,497 international applications (10.4%), the United States of America 2,847 (8.5%), Benelux 2,426 (7.2%), Italy 2,340 (7.0%), Switzerland 2,235 (6.7%), the European Community 1,852 (5.5%) and China 1,334 (4.0%). These figures relate to international applications filed through the trademark offices of the members concerned. In its second full year as a member of the Madrid System, the United States of America moved from sixth to third place, showing a steep increase in international filings (+63.9%). Other countries showing a marked increase in international trademark applications under the Madrid System in 2005 include Singapore (+47.3%), Turkey (+32.9%), China (+31.4%), Japan (+29.0%), Australia (+24.7%), Bulgaria (+17.1%) and the Republic of Korea (+16.5%). Ernesto Rubio, WIPO assistant director general who oversees trademark questions, noted that the recent accessions of the United States of America and the European Community to the Madrid Protocol have been a major factor behind the significant increases in the use of the system. Rubio added "all companies large and small can reap significant time and cost savings in using the Madrid System. Indeed, there is clear evidence that the small and medium-sized enterprise sector in member countries relies heavily on the Madrid System to acquire and maintain their trademarks." The top twenty users of the Madrid System in 2005 were Hofer (Austria), Lidl Stiftung & Co (Germany), Janssen Pharmaceutica (Belgium), Deutsche Telekom AG (Germany), Henkel (Germany), Novartis (Switzerland), Aldi (Germany), Siemens (Germany), Nestlé (Switzerland), Bosch (Germany), Beiersdorf (Germany), Krka (Slovenia), Barilla (Italy), Unilever (Netherlands), Solvay (Belgium), L’Oréal (France), Plus Warenhandelsgesellschaft (Germany), Altana Pharma (Germany), ITM Entreprises (France), Parfums Christian Dior (France). Last year also saw a significant rise (30.6%) in the level of trademark applications from developing country members of the system as compared to 2004. International trademark applications from developing countries represented 5.3% of the total number received in 2005. The top filers from developing countries were: China (1,334 applications), Republic of Korea (148), Singapore (137), Morocco (66), Viet Nam (34) and the Islamic Republic of Iran (31). In 2005, China became the most designated country (with 13,576 designations), a position held by Switzerland since 1997. Other countries which have moved up in the ranking of most designated countries compared to 2004 are the United States of America, Japan, Turkey, Norway, Ukraine, Australia, Romania and the Republic of Korea. The first international trademark registration dates from 1893 and belonged at that time to Swiss chocolate producer Russ Suchard et Cie, but is no longer in effect. The oldest international trademark registration which is still in effect as a result of multiple renewals, belongs to Swiss watchmaker Longines. This trademark was also first registered in 1893.