Trademark infringement rising year-on-year, says CompuMark report

LONDON and PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 85% of brands experienced trademark infringement in the past year, showing a steady upward trend from 81% in 2018 and 74% in 2017. This is according to the latest research from CompuMark, the industry leader in trademark research and protection, and a Clarivate Analytics company.

For those that suffered infringement, consequences were significant, with the top three cited as customer confusion (45%), loss of revenue (38%) and damage to brand reputation (37%). Three quarters of trademark infringements also led to litigation, with 40% of organizations spending between $50,000 - $249,999 on legal proceedings. In addition, 46% of respondents had to rebrand as a result of infringement, an exercise which can be costly for brands.

The research also shows that trademark infringement frequently goes beyond business name and includes many different types of infringement:

• Business name (44%)
• Web domains (44%)
• Social media (38%)
• Online marketplaces (38%)
• Advertising campaigns (34%)

In parallel with the rise in infringement, the number of trademarks filed is also increasing with 48% of brands filing more, 31% filing the same number, and 21% filing fewer marks, compared to last year. This reflects latest figures from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) showing a 15.5% increase in trademarks filed in 2018¹

The filing landscape is shifting too; 78% of respondents are including industrial design trademarks in their filing strategies and 56% are filing more image marks than in 2018.

"We're seeing more and more trademarks filed as brands seek to take advantage of commercial opportunities driven by globalization, the online marketplace and emerging markets entering the IP space," said Jeff Roy, President, IP Group, Clarivate Analytics.

"Trademark infringement can have a devastating impact on brands and, as a result, clearing, registering and watching marks has never been more important. It's likely we will continue to see an increase in the number and types of trademarks registered, including image marks, as the process and technology for searching continues to improve."

Technology was the most cited (49%) way of improving the trademark research and protection process, with artificial intelligence seen as the method of speeding up search, watch and review, as well as in using predictive analytics and automating tasks.

"Having access to the right data and tools remains critical in researching and filing new marks and artificial intelligence, in particular, will have a valuable role in improving the process. CompuMark, as a Clarivate Analytics company, continues to develop and invest in new technologies and solutions to help brands create, protect and advance their most valuable IP," concluded Roy.

The research was commissioned by CompuMark, a Clarivate Analytics company. It was conducted by Vitreous World and surveyed 351 trademark professionals from in-house and external legal teams across the USA, UK, Germany, France and Italy.

The Trademark Ecosystem: Global insights into infringement, technology and trademark process is the fourth annual report developed by CompuMark and can be downloaded here.

About CompuMark
CompuMark is the industry leader in trademark research and protection solutions. We enable trademark and brand professionals worldwide to launch, expand and protect strong brands through the highest quality global content; expert analysis; superior trademark screening, search, and watch tools; and best-in-class service. Key products include: SAEGIS Trademark Screening Tools; TM go365 Self-service Research Solution; Trademark Full Search; Trademark Watching; Copyright Searches; and Custom Solutions. For more information, please visit www.compumark.com.

About Clarivate Analytics
Clarivate Analytics plc (NYSE:CCC; CCC.WS) is a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics to accelerate the pace of innovation. We have built some of the most trusted brands across the innovation lifecycle, including the Web of Science™, Cortellis™, Derwent™, CompuMark™, MarkMonitor™ and Techstreet™. Today, Clarivate Analytics™ is on a bold entrepreneurial mission to help customers reduce the time from new ideas to life-changing innovations. For more information, please visit clarivate.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release and oral statements included herein may contain forward-looking statements regarding Clarivate Analytics. Forward-looking statements provide Clarivate Analytics' current expectations or forecasts of future events and may include statements regarding results, anticipated synergies and other future expectations. These statements involve risks and uncertainties including factors outside of Clarivate Analytics' control that may cause actual results to differ materially. Clarivate Analytics undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Clarivate and its logo, as well as all other trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners and used under license.

Media contact
Sofia Nogués, Senior External Communications Manager, Clarivate Analytics
+44 7500102982
[email protected] 

¹ https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/articles/2019/article_0012.html

SOURCE Clarivate Analytics

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