01.02.2007
Japan — Trademark statistics 1995-2005
One should never make the mistake of underestimating the importance of trademarks in Japan. Trademarks are ubiquitous in Japanese daily life. Their relevance can also be seen in the annual statistics published by the Japanese Patent Office.
The table below shows the number of applications from 1995 until 2005 in Japan:
| Year | Number of Applications | Percent of preceding year |
| 1995 | 179,689 | – |
| 1996 | 188,160 | 104.7 |
| 1997 | 133,116 | 70.7 |
| 1998 | 112,469 | 84.5 |
| 1999 | 121,861 | 108.4 |
| 2000 | 145,668 | 119.5 |
| 2001 | 123,754 | 85.0 |
| 2002 | 117,406 | 94.9 |
| 2003 | 123,325 | 105.0 |
| 2004 | 128,843 | 104.5 |
| 2005 | 135,776 | 105.4 |
The number of trademark registrations from 1995 until 2005 in Japan are stated in the table below:
| Year | Number of Registrations | Percent of preceding year |
| 1995 | 144,911 | – |
| 1996 | 178,251 | 123.0 |
| 1997 | 253,272 | 142.1 |
| 1998 | 132,066 | 52.1 |
| 1999 | 123,656 | 93.6 |
| 2000 | 94,493 | 76.4 |
| 2001 | 93,548 | 99.0 |
| 2002 | 105,114 | 112.4 |
| 2003 | 108,568 | 103.3 |
| 2004 | 95,866 | 88.3 |
| 2005 | 94,439 | 98.5 |
The Annual Reports of the Japanese Patent Office show that the number of rejections in Japan is relatively high. The reasons for it - especially with regard to applications filed by foreigners - may be mainly seen in the language barrier and the differing local Japanese procedures and rules, such as the difference in implementation of the international trademark classification. Therefore, a professional in-depth trademark search is indispensable prior to a trademark application in Japan.
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