Global trademark database developed by IP Australia

An internationally linked trademark database called TMlink is currently being developed by IP Australia, Swinburne University of Technology and the University of Melbourne.

Currently trademark databases are country specific, but this database is a world-first platform that links trademark application numbers across countries.

It also shows how trademarks are used in different markets, opening up new opportunities for global research in brand behaviour, trends and patterns.

Currently, TMlink includes trademark data from Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand and the United States. In future the database will expand to incorporate trademark data from other major economies around the world, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, China, Japan and South Korea.

Country-specific trademark databases make it expensive, if not unviable, for analysing global aspects of branding and trademark policy issues. However, TMlink takes the burden away from business and links national trademark data registers on the basis of company names, trademark text and sector classification numbers to form a comprehensive global database that will facilitate market research.

“The aim of the project is to provide insights into the foreign trade interests of Australian businesses. By knowing what is already registered in each jurisdiction, companies will be able to make evidence-based decisions on if they should enter and if they should register IP in that market. This central database will continue to grow and we hope to include every country that the World Intellectual Property Organization works with,” said Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Craig Laundy.

IP Australia contributed 1.4 million trademarks to the database, covering the period 1906–2015, while the United States register included 7.4 million trademarks filed between 1884 and 2015.

Image credit: ©Nmedia/Dollar Photo Club

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