Top trademark stories 2022: WTR’s year in numbers

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including the implications for brands and community efforts to raise funds for those affected, low-cost platforms targeting USPTO filers, the US office’s clampdown on rule breakers and industry diversity efforts all featured prominently on WTR’s list of the most read trademark stories of 2022.

The 30 most-read WTR stories of 2022

1. Apple retains most-valuable brand crown as tech boom continues and TikTok soars          
2. Ukrainian Snake Island soldier seeks trademark for iconic phrase, as major brand challenges grow in Russia         
3. EUIPO and KIPO ranked most innovative IP offices in the world
4. Truth Social: Trump’s global launch plan could face EU legal hurdle
5. LA City Attorney’s high-profile counterfeiting victory highlights benefits of working with local prosecutors
6. USPTO suspends prolific trademark attorney Jonathan Morton for numerous breaches of conduct rules
7. Ukraine fundraising initiatives illustrate the positive power of the trademark community
8. Real Madrid ranked most-valuable football brand; Manchester City rises to second place
9. More low-cost trademark platforms emerge as advertisers on Google, with concerning transcript published
10. UPS law firm diversity scheme winners revealed as corporate DEI programmes push on despite challenges
11. More suspicious low-cost trademark filing platforms discovered after USPTO fraud crackdown
12. “Out of control”: brand impersonation on Twitter rife as risk of fraud and scams rises
13. Action for Ukraine: how one IP attorney is helping those in need 
14. Newly launched Brand Action for Ukraine plans DC fundraising event   
15. The battle for Dunder Mifflin: the global effort to trademark a fictional paper company
16. EUIPO trends and top filers: 2021/22
17. OpenSea: how trademark infringement is rampant on the biggest NFT marketplace
18. USPTO inadvertently makes applicant emails public, responds to community concern
19. “I deserved this victory”: Filipino small business owner prevails against Louis Vuitton in LV trademark dispute
20. Charging Twitter users for a ‘blue tick’ will be a brand protection disaster, expert claims
21. Russian government considers suspending IP rights of foreign companies
22. Brand names for sale: the major risk posed by Telegram’s username auction
23. “Every little bit of help from brands is useful” – Ukrainian MP urges companies to take action
24. “Completely bogus” USPTO document revealed as concern grows over low-cost filing agencies
25. Google blocks ads from Trademark Terminal operator Abtach following USPTO action
26. New suspicious trademark filing websites identified as USPTO ID verification delayed
27. WeChat named world’s strongest brand for second year running
28. Something’s got to give: IP industry must rethink workload expectations or risk losing talent
29. “A blow to Iceland Foods” – EUIPO rules against supermarket chain in Iceland v Iceland appeal        
30. “The original court decision was an aberration”: Peppa Pig appeal succeeds in Russia

Our ongoing pieces tracking the measures implemented by IP offices in the wake of the pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine also generated significant reads, but were omitted from the above list as they were updated regularly.

INTA coverage

Our INTA Annual Meeting coverage also featured in the top 50. The trademark calendar’s biggest event returned to in-person format in 2022, driving interest in the big talking points.

WTR stats

Over 364,600 unique users visited the WTR platform in 2022. The top 10 locations of visitors to the site were:

• the United States;
• the United Kingdom;
• India;
• Germany;
• Canada;
• Spain;
• Australia;
• the Netherlands;
• China; and
• France.

Throughout the year, WTR subscribers had access to 941 pieces of news and analysis authored by our team of specialist journalists, as well as 484 Legal Updates written by a panel of industry experts and 48 authoritative Long Reads.

In addition, the WTR platform offered 95 Market Insight updates, an array of regional and global guides, the latest WTR 1000 and WTR 300 rankings, a range of industry data, insight from our Panels Report series and four Special Reports.

As we head into 2023, I would like to send a heartfelt thanks to all our subscribers for their support and trust. Throughout the coming year we will do all that we can to continue to deliver on our promise to them by focusing on presenting the analysis, data and insight that truly matters to brand professionals around the world.