While economists often look to patent activity as an indicator of economic health, trademark application and registration statistics can also reflect innovation, business development, and overall industry activity. The Intellectual Property Owners’ Association (IPO) recently released its 2013 IP Record, an annual report on intellectual property trends around the world using data from a range of sources including the USPTO Performance and Accountability Report FY 2012 and WIPO 2012 World Intellectual Property Indicators.

Data from the 2013 IP Record reveals that in 2012, trademark applications hit an all-time high with 415,026 applications filed, a 4% increase from 2011. The number of trademark registrations issued also rose; 243,459 registrations were issued in 2012 compared to 237,586 in 2011. Both trademark applications filed and registrations issued have experienced continuous growth since 2010....