Trade marks
An unmistakable sign — in 2018, there were 507,100 trade registered in Switzerland.
Trade mark statistics
This page shows figures and information on trade mark applications in Switzerland. To protect a trade mark in Switzerland, an application needs to be submitted to the IPI. The trade mark is then examined and, if successful, it is entered into the Swiss trade mark register Swissreg. For national applications, applying online comes up trumps — 97% of applications to the IPI are submitted via the online application system eTrademark.
Applications per canton (2018)
Most trade mark applications come from the canton of Zurich (16.2%). This is followed by Vaud (7%), Zug (6.8%), Geneva (6.2%), and Bern (6%).
Please note that if there are several applicants from different cantons, the trade mark is counted more than once.
The most common classifications of goods and services (2018)
The List of Goods and Services shows that most trade marks are registered in Class 35 (advertising, business management). Whoever registers a trade mark must decide which class it should be registered for.
The most common types of trade mark (2018)
Individual marks are the most commonly used trade mark category (99.6%). Applicants must then choose from the following trade mark types — word marks (56.3%), combined word/figurative marks (39%), figurative marks (4.1%) or other types such as acoustic marks (0.2%).
Trade marks in annual comparison
National trade marks are applied for and registered with the IPI. In addition, the protection of foreign trade marks can be extended to Switzerland via an international registration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
| 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|
National trade mark applications | 16,880 | 16,966 | 16,089 |
National trade mark registrations 1
International registrations with protection extended to Switzerland | 14,314
14,058 | 13,972
16,065 | 15,069
12,884 |
National renewals
International renewals | 11,055
12,437 | 11,324
13,459 | 10,478
13,315 |
Total trade marks registered in Switzerland | 507,100 | 498,600 | 490,600 |
(1) Trade mark registrations — this figure refers to all trade marks registered in the year 2018. It may include applications from previous years which have since been entered in the register.