The EU Intellectual Property Office has issued its latest China Focus Report, which includes an analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on trade mark applications.
European Union Trade Mark (EUTM) applications from China experienced remarkable growth from 2010 to 2019, with an average annual growth rate of 33.2% and an overall growth rate of 1,027.9% when comparing the 2019 and 2010 filing volumes.
There was a notable increase in the Chinese share of overall filings, from 9.5% in 2019 to 16.2% in 2020.
The growth in applications from China is also reflected in figures released by the UK and US Intellectual Property Offices.
These applications have contributed to 2020 being a landmark year for global trade mark activity. An increase in trade mark filings is indicative of a high level of investment in new brands, product innovation, and businesses adapting quickly to take advantage of new opportunities.
An extremely strong recovery dynamic in EUTM filings, primarily driven by significant increases in Chinese demand, has sustained overall EUTM growth since June 2020...China’s preponderance on EUTM filings during 2020 was clearly decisive in sustaining the overall growth dynamic for the EUIPO’s main products under extremely difficult circumstances.