The top trademark hotspots and stories of 2019 so far: a data deep-dive
As we near the halfway point of the year, the WTR platform has had just over 163,000 users, according to information supplied by Google Analytics. Analysis of the data reveals the regions and cities that are hotspots in terms of interest in trademarks.
The 163,000 visitors we have received so far this year represents an increase of 43% on the last six months of 2018. In terms of where this readership is based, the US is responsible for almost a third of visits (32%). The remainder of the top ten is accounted for by the United Kingdom, India, France, Canada, Germany, Australia, Netherlands, Spain and Hong Kong.
The trends in Asia are notable. While just outside the top ten, reads from China jumped by almost half (48%) over the previous period, illustrating the rising interest in brand-related intelligence in the country. Meanwhile, reads from Japan rose by 54% and Singapore by 49%. While still trailing readership from the Americas and Europe, with an across the board increase of 26%, Asia is quickly catching up.
Elsewhere, while visits from the continent jumped 11%, Africa remains our quietest continent in terms of users (fractionally behind Oceania). The growth is encouraging, but we have more to do to increase our footprint.
By continent North America remain the leading source of reads – with 39% to Europe’s 34%. Drilling down into the US, the top five states for readers are, in order, California, Illinois, New York, Virginia and Texas.
In terms of what users are looking at, below is a list of the most-read stories since the start of the year. The list spans the range of trademark concerns, covering the latest developments in the service provider and IP office landscapes, allegations of bullying, the practical strategies being employed by companies, the headaches caused by Brexit and the brand protection challenges for those in the newly-legalised cannabis industry. Also popular is a series of exclusive research findings into new platforms that brand protection professionals should be aware of, the challenges created by the world’s most prolific filer and the ongoing headaches caused by the application activities of entrepreneur Micheal Gleissner.
Our reporting on the latter is the result of serious amounts of research and, positively, has been used as evidence in over 30 legal challenges across multiple jurisdictions. For us, this justifies the investment we have made into the research and – we like to think – the price of a subscription for those that have benefited from the data.
The 25 most read articles so far this year are:
- Brands warned over legal issues on alleged “scam” gambling platform MysteryBrand
- WTR 1000 2019 rankings now available to subscribers
- WTR Industry Awards: the 2019 shortlisted teams and individuals unveiled
- IP offices of EU, Chile, Singapore and Spain named most innovative in the world
- Clarivate Analytics announces $4.2bn merger deal; reveals plans for public listing
- INTA 2021 speculation, blockchain TLDs, ‘.sucks' new approach, and brand protection the Amazon way: INTA 2019 day three report
- "Infamous troll" Michael Gleissner involved in 5% of all live contested trademark cases in United Kingdom
- 10 tips you should know about online brand protection and trademark management
- The 2019 edition of the WTR 1000 is now available online
- The Gleissner Files 2019: brand owners warned as IP office reveals staggering number of trademark applications
- IP offices going above and beyond
- From K-pop to Presley: inside the trademark portfolios of the music industry’s biggest names
- Supermac’s trademark victory over McDonald’s is a “warning” to major brands
- UK confirms post-Brexit trademark plans; ambiguities and uncertainties remain
- IP Australia, EUIPO and UKIPO ranked most effective IP offices
- WTR Industry Awards winners revealed as in-house excellence celebrated
- Recognising law firm excellence: inaugural Global IP Awards winners revealed
- Dissenter creates far-right comments section on every website; brands warned of risks
- Apple and Monster named "biggest trademark bullies" but take ranking with pinch of salt
- The evolution of Airbnb’s trademark strategy, and what it means for law firm collaborations
- Speculation mounts over USPTO special cannabis unit as practitioners vent anger over examination delays
- How counterfeiters are using “secret stores” to hide from online marketplace takedowns
- Brand protection on TikTok: what rights holders need to know about the fast-growing social media platform
- The Ueda Files: the world’s most prolific trademark filer and a conundrum for brands
- Compumark launches all-in-one protection service 'Trademark.com' as news emerges of prospective sale of Trademarkia
Returning to our Google stats, as noted, the WTR platform’s 163,000 to date in 2019 represents an increase of 43% on the last six months of 2018. We’ve also experienced a 47% jump in new users, while sessions per visit have grown by 49%. In short, 2019 has been characterised by a startling increase in demand for trademark and brand-related intelligence from companies and law firms across the globe. Perhaps this is no surprise, as the importance of brands is increasingly being realised by senior management the world over, while the pace of infringement shows no sign of slowing. It also means that, here at WTR, we owe every one of our visitors a debt of gratitude for choosing us as their ‘go-to’ source of information.
Our most-read stories list focuses on the content produced by the WTR editorial team but, of course, that is not the totality of our output. Every day we post legal updates and strategic insights from market experts – from both the corporate and law firm environments (and we do, of course, want to do more, so if there are topics you feel we should be covering, do let us know). The WTR platform also offers microsites dedicated to 9 different industry areas and 11 sectors, as well as sites organised by continent and by country. We also offer guides to the leading corporate and law firm brand professionals. If you aren’t yet a subscriber, information on how to become one is available here.