The number of trademark applications increased 3 percent year on year to 43,385 for the first half of 2020, hitting an all-time high, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said July 28.
 
Domestic applications, which account for 76 percent of the total, rose 10 percent to peak at 32,843, the greatest volume since the year 2000. Conversely, submissions from overseas saw a 12 percent dip to 10,542.
 
The top five products and services driving local applications were advertising; catering and accommodation; coffee, tea and desserts; pharmaceuticals; and cosmetics and cleaning agents, in that order.
 
In terms of businesses, Uni-President Enterprises Corp. in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City submitted the most applications, followed by President Fair Development Corp. in the southern city of Kaohsiung, Wowprime Corp. in the central city of Taichung, Lungyen Life Service Corporation Ltd. in New Taipei City, and Roehl Limited in Taipei City.
 
Topping overseas submissions was China, with Japan, the U.S., Hong Kong and South Korea respectively ranking second through fifth in number of applications.
 
Meanwhile, although patent applications decreased 4 percent year on year to 33,954 for the first half of the year, invention patents submitted by domestic small- and medium-sized enterprises saw a 14 percent rise over the same period, according to the MOEA. (YCH-E)
 
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