China and Russia received the largest number of international trademark applications in 2006, the World Intellectual Property Organization said on March 15. China received 15,801 applications for registered trademarks in 2006, up 16.4% from the previous year, "reflecting increasing levels of trading activity by foreign companies," WIPO said. Russia was close behind with 14,432 applications, up 12.7%.
A record 36,471 applications were filed in 2006 under WIPO's Madrid registration system which allows a single international application for trademark protection. WIPO's Madrid system covers around 40% of all international trademark filings. The rest are handled directly by individual national authorities.
German-based companies made the highest number of applications with 6,552 filings, or 18% of the total. France was in second place with 3,986, followed by the U.S. at 3,148.
Information technology, clothing and pharmaceuticals were the most cited sectors for trademark applications.
German distribution company Lidl made the most filings worldwide, followed by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007
