Record Year for Trade Marks
Record Year for Trade Marks
31 Aug 2011
With all the international doom and gloom lately, it's nice to hear some promising local news. Trade mark applications are up - to pre GFC levels in fact. Last financial year saw trade mark applications from Australian businesses in a record 69,003 classes.
This means new Australian brands are expanding into more categories of goods and services than in previous years. Instead of just using a brand for clothing, business owners might also see opportunities in surfboards and sports drinks.
But that's just scratching the surface. Anecdotal evidence suggests trade mark applications are leading indicators of economic activity. Companies apply for trade marks when they are about to launch a product or a new venture. The common sense approach is to protect your brand before investing in advertising and marketing.
The increase in trade mark applications may also reflect improved understanding of intellectual property (IP). Businesses realise the importance of differentiating from competitors and are taking their IP seriously. A recent small business survey supports this claim. While the majority of SMEs (54%) rated themselves "somewhat aware" of IP (consistent with last year's figures) the proportion of those "very aware" doubled from 15% to 32%.
Earlier this year, Madeline Hall from the Sunshine Coast, applied to register the trade mark for her creative agency EMS Design. Although building her own brand is important, she also encourages clients to view trade mark protection "as an insurance policy". Ms Hall says "it's an integral part of the marketing strategy for any business and as a result adds value to their balance sheet".
Robyn Foster, IP Australia's General Manager of Trade Marks and Designs, agrees with this sentiment. "Your brand is an important business asset and can become the most valuable thing a business owns. Like physical assets, a brand needs protection and that's where a registered trade mark is useful. Registration provides a legal right for business to protect their brand and hard earned reputation."
Media Kit
Trade Mark Data 2010-2011 [19.4 KB]
Trade Mark Data 2010-2011 [106 KB]
Trade Mark Statistics - AU non-Madrid Filings - Classes 2008-2011 [69.5 KB]
Trade Mark Statistics - AU non-Madrid Filings - Classes 2008-2011 [116 KB]
Information on Trade Mark Classes can be found here.
Last Updated: 10/12/2012
