The USPTO issued 239346 trademark registrations in 2011. The most active trademark classes are Class 9 – scientific and electronic apparatus (24,590); Class 16 – printed matter (9692); Class 25 – clothing (14,355). The most active service mark classes are Class 35 – advertising and business (26,542); Class 41 – education and entertainment (23335); and class 42 – research and design (14467).

It is interesting to compare the 2011 issuances with the body of existing registrations, to identifies which areas are “hot” and which areas are cooling off.  Class 14 (jewelry). Class 18 (leather goods), Class 25 (Clothing), Class 32 (beverages), and Class 33 (wine and spirits) were more active than the historic average, while Class 1 (chemicals), Class 2 (paint), Class 6 (metal goods), Class 7 (machinery), Class 8 (hand tools), Class 19 (building materials), and Class 23 (yarn and thread) were less active than the historic average.

Written by Bryan K. Wheelock