11 findings by the Regulator (Australian Government IP Australia) for Trademarks 2025.
#TrademarksImmagine
Trade mark-protected brands in export markets are more likely to expand and diversify their product exports in response to tariff and exchange rate shocks.
Transport was a key bright spot for growth in patents, trade marks and designs, driven by Chinese filers. These trends reflect China’s growing market share in electric vehicles and related parts (including batteries), which has increased market competition.
International studies estimate that patents and trade marks increase investors’ estimates of a startup’s value by around 20% (especially in the early development stage and early financing rounds) (Hsu & Ziedonis, 2013).
After filing for a trade mark, Australian businesses on average employ 7% more people and spend 5% more on R&D, compared to the firm and its peers with no trade marks (Falk, 2021).
When businesses launch new products, each additional trade mark is linked to an 8% revenue increase per employee above the revenue generated by the launch (Nathan & Russo, 2022)
The number of active Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that hold trade marks has grown by over 10,000 in 2024, from around 6.89% to 7.02% of total active SMEs.
The growth in trade mark filings in 2024 was entirely attributed to non-residents, who filed 8.2% more trade marks in 2024 than 2023. As a result, non-resident filings reached their highest level on record (37,363 in total).
The leading overseas locations of origin for trade mark filings in Australia are China (13.8% of total applications in 2024), the United States (10.0%), the United Kingdom (2.6%), Germany (1.6%) and New Zealand (1.4%).
High-tech manufacturing industries are heavy trade mark filers, as are information-intensive services (e.g., education). Advertising covers a broad mix of different services, including retail, advertising, business management and advisory services.
IP Australia undertakes daily scans of Australia’s trade mark register for marks comprised of random collection of letters.
The last 2 years has seen a reversal in the long-term trend toward increased usage of the Madrid system to file trade marks in Australia. The share of new trade marks in Australia filed via the Madrid system fell has fallen below 20% for the first time since 2016.
