Chapter 3: Trade marks

Trade mark applications and registrations

In 2024, trade mark applications filed in Australia increased by 2.8% on their level in 2023, to 85,945 (see Figure 3.1). The total for 2024 is exceeded only by the record filing volume in 2021.

However, the growth in trade mark filings was underpinned by a surge in filings from China, for the second consecutive year. Much of the growth in filings from China was concentrated in household items, a class of goods increasingly sold through ecommerce platforms such as Amazon and Temu, in a period when Chinese e-commerce has boomed, However, strong growth was observed across several product and service classes, including vehicles and transport.

Trade mark registrations grew by 6.6% (to 66,981 in total), correcting from a slight decline in 2023, and remain elevated above pre-pandemic levels.

Figure 3.1 Trade mark applications and registrations filed in Australia, 2013 to 2024

Origins of trade mark applications 

Resident and non-resident applications 

For businesses, well-protected trade marks can generate brand awareness and loyalty, and lower the expense of introducing and marketing new products by reducing consumer search costs.

Trade mark registrations also serve as an important ‘entry ticket’ to competing in international markets, and help consumers distinguish the provenance and quality of foreign goods.

Over half (56.5%) of trade marks filed in Australia are filed by Australian residents, the remaining 43.5% by entities outside Australia.

In 2024, resident applications fell by 0.9%, to 48,582 in total (Figure 3.2). Resident filings remain below their record levels during the first years of the COVID-19 shock but above the pre-pandemic trend from 2015 to 2019.

Figure 3.2 Trade mark applications in Australia by domicile, 2015 to 2024

Trade mark filings are used by businesses to announce new products and service offerings to the market.¹ As a result, they reflect the level of opportunistic entrepreneurship in a country – start-up activity directed at creating high-growth businesses.²

In 2024, Australia’s business entry rate – the number of new businesses relative to the number of businesses in the economy, fell for the third consecutive year, to 4.9%, though still above pre-pandemic levels.³ A decline was observed in the number of retail trade businesses – one of the largest sources of new trade mark filings.

Trade mark trends are also responsive to changes in domestic demand, as reflected in household spending.⁴ Household spending growth in Australia moderated in 2024 driven by inflationary pressures and tighter financial conditions. However, it was resilient for furnishings and household equipment,⁵ categories where non-resident filings concentrated.

The growth in trade mark filings in 2024 was entirely attributed to non-residents, who filed 8.2% more trade marks in 2024 than 2023. As a result, non-resident filings reached their highest level on record (37,363 in total).

Overseas locations of origin

The leading overseas locations of origin for trade mark filings in Australia are China (13.8% of total applications in 2024), the United States (10.0%), the United Kingdom (2.6%), Germany (1.6%) and New Zealand (1.4%).

China has overtaken the United States to become the leading overseas origin for trade mark filings in Australia. Trade mark applications naming Chinese residents nearly doubled in 2024, increasing by 45.4% on their 2023 level. This follows 49.4% growth over 2023 (see Figure 3.3). Applications fell in 2024 for the other 4 lead overseas locations of origin.

Besides China, strong growth was also observed in trade mark applications from the United Arab Emirates (+51.7% on 2023 levels to 179 filings).

Figure 3.3 Leading locations of origin for trade mark filings in 2024, and high-volume locations with the greatest relative growth or decline in 2024⁶

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