The EUIPO Observatory has published a report on trends in EUTM filings during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report is based on data from 2001 to 2022 and is available to download and read on EUIPO’s website here.

It indicates that EUTM filings showed significant resilience to the short-term turbulences created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the period covered, EUTM filings saw an average annual growth of 6.1%. In 2020, there was a notable increase in filings. However, in 2022 there was a 12.1% fall, the most significant dip during the whole period. The downturn was predominantly due to reductions from the EU Member States and China, where filings fell by 10,000 and 12,500 applications respectively.

The report indicates that trade mark filings not only reflect economic conditions but can indicate business confidence and expectations of future economic performances, serving as a barometer of economic sentiment.

The report also includes a breakdown of filings across Nice classes, showing the uneven impact of the pandemic. In 2020, only 35% of goods classes saw a downturn compared to 70% of service classes.

Among other trends highlighted by the study were a long-term growth in filings from EU Member States with a brief pandemic-induced hiccup.

The study did not analyse the effect of other events that influenced Europe’s economy in 2022, such as the war in Ukraine and the resulting bout of high inflation.