Covid-19 pandemic has had an influence on almost every aspect of our lives. Apparently, trademark registration was also impacted by the Covid-19 crisis, in different ways. This includes the use of Covid-related words in trademark applications that were filed around the world. More importantly, the pandemic causes changes in the amount of trademark applications over the past year.
Decker & Ofir is a boutique law firm, specializing in trademark law and intellectual property (IP). The firm represents its clients in various IP legal matters. The services offered by the firm include assistance with handling trademark registration in Israel and worldwide, legal representation in trademark infringement actions, etc.
How Did the Covid-19 Pandemic Affect the Field of Trademark Law?
Covid-19 had a worldwide economic impact throughout the past year. While we currently begin to see a recovery in various countries from both the health and economic influences of the pandemic, Covid-19’s impact can still be felt in various issues, including trademark registration.
There have been some interesting trends occurring with regards to trademarks, including filing of trademark applications that are related to Covid-19 in their character. We can also see an increase in the number of applications that were filed in 2021 in comparison with the amount of applications filed in 2020 in Israel and elsewhere. Below we will elaborate on those trends.
“Coronavirus” Trademark Applications
An interesting trend that took place in the recent year is the filing of trademark applications with Covid-related verbal components. This trend occurred in various countries, including the US, EU countries, Australia, South Africa, etc. Businesses in many fields attempted to enjoy the hype over the pandemic for the purpose of marketing. They applied for registration of trademarks with phrases such as “No Coronavirus”, “I survived the Coronavirus 2020”, “Corona Killer” and many others.
This trend did not skip Israel, where an application to register the mark “Corona Beach” had been filed, as well as marks with the verbal component “CoVIg-19”. Despite the large number of applications, it is hard to tell how many of them would eventually be filed. Such applications can be refused for being too generic, or without a distinctive character under the law. However, legal assistance by trademark experts could help with overcoming these obstacles and help obtaining trademark registration, despite the challenges included in the process.
Increase in the Number of Applications in 2021
Another important trend is related to the amount of trademarks that have been filed over the past year, since Covid-19 broke into our lives. Recently it was reported in WTR that there has been an increase in the amount of trademark applications that were filed in 2021. This positive trend took place along with the gradual return into normalcy in various countries, as a result of a wide vaccination and a decrease in the spread of the virus. This trend can be seen in Israel as well. Israel was one of the first countries to recover from the pandemic, due to the mass vaccination operation.
Apparently, it had a positive effect on the economy, as well as the number of applications for trademark registration that were filed since the Covid-19 restrictions began to be lifted. The amount of applications that were filed in the first half of 2021 is bigger than the amount of applications that were filed in 2020 as a whole. It can tell us a lot about the connection between the field of trademarks and events that occur in the global economy.
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Our law firm is located in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel. Our attorneys are well experienced with representing Israeli and international clients in trademark matters and protection of IP assets, and will be happy to assist in any related issue, during both regular times and times of crisis.