April 25, 2008

U.S. Patent Office Swamped With ‘Eco’ Applications

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) saw a 10 percent increase in trademark filings last year for green-themed marks, making it the busiest year ever for according to a report (PDF) released by the Dechert law firm.

According to the report, “Trends in Trademarks,” filings for new trademarks set a record of more than 300,000 in 2007. The number broke the previous record of 289,000 set in 2000 during the Internet boom.

Applications for everything from “Eco-Friendly” and “Go Green,” to the slightly more creative “Green Is the New Black,” “Red States, Blue States, Green States,” flooded the USPTO office in 2007.

Trademarks with the prefix “eco” were just as hot, also more than doubling, with nearly 900 new applications in 2007, said Glenn Gundersen, chair of Dechert’s trademark practice.

“Next to your backyard ECO POOL, you could mow your forms in over 100 different proposed marks, for ECO LAWN with an ECOMOWER, and water your ECO PLANTS and ECO FLOWERS with an ECO HOSE. Your ECO BABY could play with ECO DOLLS, while you sent your ECO TOTS off to ECO CHILDCARE with an ECO LUNCH, including an ECO APPLE, ECOMILK, and ECO YUMMY snacks.”

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