WIPO: Who filed the most IP rights applications in 2016?

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently shared statistical data in regards to the companies that invested more in the protection of IP assets, during 2016, namely trademarks, PCTs, designs and domain name disputes. IP assets filing services experienced increases in the number of applications.

Trademarks registered a growth of 7.2%, which amounts to 52.550 applications. L’ORÉAL was no. 1, having placed 150 international trademark applications; GLAXO GROUP LIMITED was 2nd with 141 applications; BMW which came 3rd, with 117 applications, was the company with the largest year-over-year growth, increasing applications by a whopping 192.5%.

Patent Cooperation Treaty (also known as International Patents) saw an increase of applications by 7.3%, totaling 233.000 patens. Applicants that invested more heavily were ZTE CORPORATION, in 1st place, with 4.123 applications; HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES came 2nd with 3.692 applications and QUALCOMM INCORPORATED, 3rd, with 2.466 applications. Besides these technology giants, other companies reached the TOP 10, including MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP, LG ELECTRONICS, HEWLETT-PACKARD and INTEL CORPORATION.

As for international industrial design, a strong growth of 13.9% was revealed, resulting in 18.716 applications. Dutch FONKEL MEUBELMARKETING leads the group of applicants with 953 applications, SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS comes 2nd, with 862 applications and behind this, LG ELECTRONICS with 728 applications and an impressive growth of 1448.9%.

In regards to the domain name cases in 2016, there was a 10% growth over last year filings, totaling 3.036 applications. In 1st class was PHILIP MORRIS with 67 cases; the Swedish AB ELECTROLUX came 2nd, with 51 cases and HUGO BOSS was 3rd with 42 cases.

From this data shared by WIPO we can attest that 2016 was, with question, a year marked by a strong bet in protecting IP assets, which reveals how important these rights have become for companies.