Number of trademark registrations increase by 61%

The ISIPO saw a significant increase in the number of trademark registrations in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in the last two years, according to newly published IP statistics.

• The number of trademark registrations increased by 56% in the period January to September this year (3,142) compared to the same period in 2019 (2,004).
• International trademark registrations (Madrid trademarks) (2,404) in the first nine months of the year were more than the total number in 2019 (1,783).
• The number of international PCT applications increased significantly on a year-by-year basis. 19 PCT applications were filed in the first nine months of the year which is more than the total number of filings in 2019 (18).
• The number of trademark applications by Icelandic entities in the period January - September increased by 5% on a year-by-year basis (520 this year compared to 495 in 2019) while the number of international trademark applications (Madrid trademarks) decreased by 6% (2,073 this year compared to 2,210 in 2019).
• The number of European patents (EP) in the first nine months of the year decreased by 6% on a year-by-year basis (1,095 this year compared to 1,135 in 2019).

Trademarks

There was a significant increase in the number of trademark registrations in Iceland. 3,142 trademarks were registered in Iceland in the first nine months of the year compared to 2,004 and 2,133 trademarks over the same periods in 2019 and 2018, respectively. The period January - September saw a decrease of 1% in the number of national trademark registrations by Icelandic entities and an increase of 17% by foreign entities compared to 2019. The number of international trademark registrations (Madrid trademarks) increased by 81%.

This increased number of trademark registrations can be attributed to an increased effort in trademark examination at the ISIPO that started at the beginning of the year. The ISIPO has set a target of examining 4,500 trademark applications in 2020 compared to 3,000 in the year 2019. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ISIPO has resorted to increased teleworking. However, this has not had a negative effect on productivity. On the contrary, the ISIPO has exceeded performance targets in trademark examination by 5% since the start of the year. 

The total amount of trademark applications (3,013) decreased by 4% in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2019. However, the number of national trademark applications by Icelandic parties increased by 5% despite the negative economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland.

Patents

There was a slight decrease in the number of confirmed European patents (EP) in Iceland in the first nine months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. From January until September, 1,095 European patents (EP) were granted in Iceland compared to 1.135 in 2019, a decrease of 3.5%.

The number of a patent application filed at the ISIPO in the first nine months of the year (35) decreased compared to the same period in 2019 (53) and 2018 (56). However, there was an increase in the number of international PCT applications of Icelandic parties. From January until September, 19 such applications were filed compared to 11 in the same period in 2019.