What Is Behind the Growth in Trademark Filings? An Analysis of United States Data
18 Pages Posted: 9 Oct 2016
Date Written: October 1, 2013
Abstract
Demand for registered U.S. trademarks has grown substantially over the past 25 years in absolute terms and relative to overall economic growth. Trademark filings grew at an average annual rate of 6.5 percent between 1985 and 2011, outpacing real GDP growth and implying intensified use of trademarks in the U.S. economy. Prepared as background for the WIPO 2013 World Intellectual Property Report: Branding in the Knowledge Economy, this paper presents descriptive analysis of U.S trademark data and discusses potential drivers of escalating demand. Trends suggest that introduction of intent‐to‐use applications spurred filings but had less impact on registration growth. No other distinct driver of trademark demand emerges, though descriptive analysis shows service classes accounting for an increasing proportion of new filings and relative declining demand from high‐income countries being offset by growing demand from middle‐income countries.
Keywords: Intellectual Property Rights, Trademarks
JEL Classification: O3
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation