The trend towards fewer national IP applications and more international applications continued in the Icelandic IP market in 2012. The number of applications for the validation of European patents increased more than expected and has never been higher. National patent applications decreased more than in previous years and national applications for trademarks decreased as well. There was a slight decrease overall in applications for trademarks and design.
Patents
The majority of patent applications in Iceland come through the European Patent Office (EPO) as national validations of European patents. In 2012, 881 European patents were validated in Iceland, which was a 12% increase compared to 2011. The number of national patent applications continued to decline, as they have done since Iceland acceded to the European Patent Convention in 2004. In 2012, national patent applications were only 44, which was a 13.6 % decrease from the year before. The majority of the applications, or 37, were from Icelandic applicants. This decrease in national applications was more than in previous years, while the increase in applications for European Patents (EP) was more than expected. National patents granted in 2012 were 47, which was less than in 2011. Valid patents in Iceland at the end of 2012 were 3241. Thereof were 666 national patents and 2575 EP patents.
Trademarks
Applications for trademark registration were 3551 in 2012, which was a 5% decrease from 2011. In all, 1274 were national registrations, and 2277 were international applications that came through the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). National applications from foreign applicants went down from 617 to 607, and applications from Icelandic applicants decreased from 689 in 2011 to 667 in 2012. Valid registered trademarks in Iceland at the end of 2012 were 54.381. Thereof were 31.131 international (Madrid) trademarks and 23.250 national trademarks. Iceland has been a member of the Madrid Protocol since 1997.
Designs
Applications for the registration of designs decreased in 2012. In all, 121 applications were submitted to the Icelandic Patent Office. This year, there was a slight increase in applications from foreign applicants, while there was a decrease in applications from Icelandic applicants. Iceland has been a member of the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement for the International Registration of Industrial Designs since 2004.