2021 in review: Record number of EUTM applications at the EUIPO

Despite facing several challenges in 2021, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has achieved the highest-ever recorded number of EUTM applications.

Almost 13,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) reached out for support in intellectual property matters last year. The EUIPO is largely attributing this success to dedicated initiatives such as “Recovery plan for Europe” and “Ideas Powered for Business SME Fund”. The steep increase demonstrates the importance of IP protection for businesses in difficult times and that the faith in the IP system continues to grow.

99.96% of the EUTM and 98.90% of the Design applications were received online via e-filing platforms, showing a clear preference by applicants of the digital filing system. With the development of easy to use e-tools, the EUIPO is expecting the upwards trend to grow exponentially over the next years.