Assistant director general, Ernesto Rubio, revealed the industrialised nations which had experienced the most significant rises. The top three were named as Italy with a 25.5% rise; Australia with 29.1%; and Norway with 32.8%.
Developing countries also put in strong showings, with Singapore up 16.7%; the Republic of Korea up 28.4%; and Morocco achieving an impressive 80.3% on just 119 applications. EU member states accounted for 23,916 applications, but leading them by a massive margin – streets ahead of any other country – was Germany, contributing 6,552. German companies making their marks in the report include Lidl, Henkel and Bosch.
The success of the Madrid system has been put down to improved technology and communications, with WIPO pointing out that, by December, six trademark offices around the world were regularly transmitting data to its central hub. These transmissions accounted for 33% of the applications received throughout that year.
WIPO director general, Dr Kamil Idris, said: ‘Increasingly, the business community is recognizing the advantages of the Madrid system as an efficient way to obtain trademark protection in multiple countries. This is borne out by the healthy growth rates enjoyed by the system in recent years. It is our hope and expectation that more countries will embrace the Madrid system as a cost-effective and reliable service for brand owners seeking to protect their commercial interests in new export markets.’
