2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020

2021 USPTO Trademark Year in Review

Trademark filing statistics and trends for 2021

292,007

Total Filings in 2021

324,305

Total Filings in 2020

-10%

Change from 2020

Insight

The 10% decline in total filings from 2020 to 2021 reflects a normalization after the pandemic-driven surge in 2020, where businesses rushed to secure digital and e-commerce trademarks. This suggests that while initial pandemic adjustments have stabilized, businesses are adapting to a more stable but altered post-pandemic market landscape.

"Trademark filings were down 10% in 2021 vs 2020"

Monthly Filing Trend

Number of trademark applications filed each month in 2021. Shows seasonal patterns and peak filing periods.

Status Breakdown

Current status of all trademarks filed in 2021.

54.5% Registration Success Rate

A registration success rate of 54.5% suggests that trademark applications are facing rigorous scrutiny, possibly due to increased competition and saturation in certain trademark classes, emphasizing the need for businesses to conduct thorough prior research and ensure distinctiveness to enhance their chances of successful registration.

Busiest Filing Days

Distribution of filings by day of the week in 2021.

"54.5% of 2021 trademark applications achieved registration"

Attorneys with Most Filings

Law firms and attorneys who filed the most trademarks in 2021.

1 Linan Yao

3,143

2 Henry G. Chow

1,737

3 Haoyi Chen

1,731

4 WILLIAM SCOTT GOLDMAN

1,606

1,548

1,421

1,317

1,239

9 Louis C. Cheng, Esq.

1,111

10 Zhuoyi Ma

975

Owners with Most Filings

Companies and individuals who filed the most trademark applications in 2021.

1 Guangzhou Lingbiao Network Technology Co., Ltd.

200

2 Dapeng Chai

191

3 PETSMART HOME OFFICE LLC

179

4 World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

176

5 Walmart Apollo, LLC

158

6 PETSMART HOME OFFICE, INC.

154

7 USFL ENTERPRISES, LLC

151

8 NOVARTIS AG

135

9 LIGHT & WONDER, INC.

127

10 IGT

111

Top 10 Classes

Most popular Nice Classification categories for trademark filings in 2021.

9 Computers & Electronics

41,132

25 Clothing

35,107

35 Advertising & Business

32,534

41 Education & Entertainment

30,127

42 Computer & Scientific

25,202

21 Housewares

18,277

28 Toys & Sporting Goods

17,457

3 Cosmetics & Cleaning

13,008

5 Pharmaceuticals

12,601

16 Paper Goods

11,888

The dominance of Class 9 (Computers & Electronics) and Class 42 (Computer & Scientific) filings indicates a sustained focus on technology and digital transformation, highlighting how companies across industries are prioritizing technological innovation and digital solutions in response to ongoing digitalization and remote work trends.

Year-over-Year Comparison

Compare trademark filing volumes and trends across multiple years.

Total Filings by Year

Metric	2021	2020
Total Filings	292,007	324,305
Registered	156,706	218,211
Pending	45,566	21,272
Success Rate	54.5%	68.7%
Avg Processing Days	559	385

Top 5 Classes Over Time

How the most popular trademark categories have grown over the years.

Fastest Growing Classes

Categories with the highest percentage increase in filings compared to 2020.

Telecommunications

3,115 → 4,636

+48.8%

Yarns & Threads

206 → 283

+37.4%

Chemicals

3,065 → 3,993

+30.3%

Computer & Scientific

19,894 → 25,202

+26.7%

Treatment & Processing

2,887 → 3,633

+25.8%

The significant growth in Class 38 (Telecommunications) filings underscores the increasing importance of robust communication technologies due to remote work and digital connectivity demands, while the rise in Class 23 (Yarns & Threads) filings may signal a resurgence in domestic manufacturing and craft industries as supply chain disruptions encourage more local production.

Declining Classes

Categories with fewer filings compared to 2020.

Medical Apparatus

11,086 → 8,424

-24%

Environmental Control

15,148 → 11,707

-22.7%

Musical Instruments

901 → 700

-22.3%

Hand Tools

5,625 → 4,388

-22%

Cosmetics & Cleaning

16,002 → 13,008

-18.7%

Popular Trademark Words

Most frequently used words in trademark names filed in 2021. Larger words appear more often.

life home world health love one good solutions care all better beauty club smart black pro new com technology power green house services coffee best blue live water american global made studio est more big air bar art city real future energy wellness little happy plus make digital certified day living time music family game hair get it's united since

Processing Time

How long it took for 2021 trademark applications to get registered.

559

Avg Days

Fastest

1,820

Slowest

Based on 156,706 registered trademarks

An average processing time of 559 days indicates that businesses need to plan their trademark strategies well in advance, as the extended timeline could impact product launches and brand protection efforts, requiring more strategic foresight and potentially a greater focus on provisional applications or international filings.

Highest Approval Rates

Nice Classes with the highest percentage of applications successfully registered in 2021.

Class 23

68.6%

Class 17

66.6%

Class 2

65.9%

Class 7

65.3%

Class 1

63.5%

"Average time to trademark registration in 2021: 559 days"

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, businesses should prepare for continued emphasis on digital and technological innovations, but should also remain adaptable to shifts in consumer behavior and economic conditions that could affect trademark filing trends, particularly as new industries emerge and others adapt to post-pandemic realities.

Want to explore class trends over multiple years?

View Class Trends

Data sourced from USPTO public records. Statistics computed on January 9, 2026.

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