According to public records, the USPTO received 485,444 new trademark applications in 2019. This is a
record for the number of US applications filed in a year, and represents an increase of approximately 5.8% over 2018's number. 2018 had been the previous record number of applications.
The growth from 2018 to 2019 was approximately 4%, so the rate of increase actually grew last year, despite a new rule that went into effect in August 2019 requiring foreign applications to have US counsel that undoubtedly has some effect on the number of foreign applicants.
2019 also appears to have been a record year for the number of registrations issued: 312,117.
As a result, there are more registered trademarks than ever before, and more users of the USPTO online systems. These are some of the reasons that registration today is more valuable than ever before, because a registration in the database does work for the owner 24/7, 365 days a year when it appears potentially in searches by competitors, new businesses, and USPTO examiners.
If your entire trademark portfolio isn't registered, what are you waiting for?
