UK IPO Facts And Figures (2013 And 2014) – Trade Marks

Earlier this week, the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) published the Facts and Figures; Patent, trade mark, design & administrative data 2013 and 2014 calendar years, which provides an interesting insight into the filing trends and administrate data over the past two years. Full details of the report are viewable at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/433033/Facts_and_Figures_2015.pdf. The report indicates a steady year on year increase in the number of UK national trade mark applications filed at the UK IPO between 2010 and 2014, with the total number of applications rising from 31,763 in 2010 to 51,016 in 2014. The 51,016 applications filed in 2014 represent a 9 per cent increase on the 46,362 filed in the previous calendar year. Although it is difficult to identify accurately the myriad factors that may be responsible for this consistent and fairly substantial increase in domestic applications, one significant non-financial contributory factor may include the growing awareness of brand value and the importance of trade mark protection. Heightened public awareness may be attributable to an increase in the number of trade mark matters being reported in the mainstream media. The past year alone has yielded a vast number of topical trade mark articles, many of which we have discussed in our own articles, discussing subject matter ranging from high profile disputes involving well-known brands to celebrities registering their names to protect their image. There is also an increased awareness of the importance of trade mark protection in a commercial context, particularly amongst SMEs and tech companies. The technological boom of the past ten years has revolutionised the corporate landscape, advertising and traditional business models with a...