Introduction
On June 12, 2026, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) announced that processing times in its trademark division have been lengthening due to a sharp increase in trademark applications. In 2025, German national trademark applications reached 93,291, representing a 20.8% increase from the previous year. In particular, applications from China rose to 10,027, nearly tripling from 3,385 in the previous year, while applications from the United States also doubled from 549 to 1,103. The upward trend appears to be continuing in 2026, with 44,036 applications filed between January 1 and June 16. By contrast, only about 11,200 cases proceeded to registration during the same period, leaving approximately three quarters of the applications unregistered.
This news is not merely a story about congestion in the DPMA’s processing operations. It indicates that competition for brand protection in the German market is intensifying, and that companies have entered a phase in which trademark strategy must be considered earlier and more continuously.
The Increase in Trademark Applications Means Earlier Market Entry Planning
One important point to note about the recent increase in applications is that filings are growing not only from within Germany, but also significantly from foreign applicants, including those from China and the United States. This shows that the German market remains an important sales market and continues to be regarded as a key foothold for European expansion.
Trademarks are not rights that should be hurriedly secured only after goods or services have already been launched in the market. Rather, before launching a product name, service name, app name, brand logo, or similar identifier, companies should first assess the prospects for obtaining trademark protection. As the number of applications increases, the likelihood also rises that identical or similar names will be filed earlier by others. In other words, the increase in trademark applications means that trademark searches and filings must increasingly be incorporated from the brand-name development stage.
Germany, in particular, is one of Europe’s largest economies and is an important market across a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, IT, consumer goods, fashion, food, healthcare, and services. If trademark protection in Germany is delayed, the impact may extend not only to business in Germany itself, but also to broader brand expansion across Europe.
Longer Processing Times Become a Business Planning Risk
When examination periods for trademark applications become longer, the issue for companies is no longer simply a matter of waiting until registration is completed. Many business activities are based on a brand name, including the launch of new products, participation in trade shows, the start of sales on e-commerce sites, distributor agreements, advertising and promotion, and package printing.
If a business proceeds while the prospects for registration remain uncertain, the company may later face burdens such as changing the brand name, remaking packaging, revising advertising materials, or suspending sales if a refusal reason is issued or a conflict with a third party becomes apparent. A delay in trademark filing is not merely an issue for the legal department. It is a management risk that can affect business divisions, sales teams, marketing departments, and overseas expansion teams.
For this reason, companies planning to expand their brands in Germany need to conduct trademark searches and file applications earlier than before. At a minimum, rather than filing immediately before the start of sales, it is important to consider, at the brand-candidate selection stage, whether to choose a German national trademark, an EU trademark, or an international registration.
Applicants Also Need to Avoid Practices That Slow Examination
To address longer processing times, the DPMA is asking applicants to use online filing, use terms specified in the uniform classification database, and keep inquiries to the minimum necessary. This indicates that not only the examining office’s operations, but also the quality of applications submitted by applicants, can affect processing speed.
In trademark applications, the description of goods and services is extremely important, in addition to the mark itself. If the designated goods or services are ambiguous or incorrectly classified, amendments or inquiries may become necessary, further prolonging the procedure. Conversely, by using standardized terms and properly organizing the contents of goods and services before filing, applicants may be able to reduce unnecessary exchanges with the office.
In overseas filings in particular, it may be insufficient simply to translate Japanese product or service names literally. It is important to adapt the wording to local practice and file the application in a form that is less likely to cause classification issues. This news shows that the preparation of application documents is becoming increasingly important as a factor that affects the speed of trademark prosecution.
Monitoring Similar Trademarks Only “After Registration” Is Too Late
As the number of applications increases, the possibility also rises that third parties will file trademarks similar to a company’s own brands. What requires attention here is that trademark offices do not necessarily eliminate all conflicts with earlier trademarks ex officio.
Therefore, filing an application alone is not enough to protect a company’s brand. Companies need to continuously check whether identical or similar trademarks to their own marks have newly been filed, and, where necessary, consider measures such as oppositions or negotiations.
For companies doing business in Europe, it is particularly important to establish a monitoring system that covers not only German national trademarks, but also EU trademarks, international registrations, and national trademarks in key countries. Even if a company has not filed a trademark application in Germany, if a competitor or third party files a similar mark in Germany, this may affect future market entry or sales expansion.
What Japanese Companies Should Do
For Japanese companies, the implications of this news are clear. If there is any possibility of developing goods or services in Germany, it is important not to postpone trademark filings.
First, trademark searches should be conducted at an early stage for brands that may be used in European expansion. Next, companies need to consider which route is appropriate: a German national trademark, an EU trademark, or an international registration. The system to be selected will differ depending on whether the focus is only on Germany or whether protection is desired across Europe.
When filing, it is also advisable to carefully organize the designated goods and services and use standardized terms as much as possible. This can reduce the likelihood of unnecessary inquiries and amendments.
In addition, even after filing, companies need to establish a system for continuously monitoring the filing status of conflicting trademarks. In a phase where application numbers are increasing, it is important to have a mechanism that enables early detection and response, rather than noticing similar trademarks only after they have appeared.
Conclusion
The sharp increase in German trademark applications is not merely congestion in the administrative procedures of a single country. It reflects the fact that global companies regard the German market as important and are moving earlier to secure brand protection.
A trademark is not something that becomes safe only once it is registered. It is intellectual property that should be managed through the entire process, including pre-filing searches, the design of designated goods and services at the filing stage, and post-filing monitoring. The DPMA’s announcement shows that earlier action and continuous watching have become more important than ever for obtaining trademark protection in Germany.
For companies developing brands in the German or European markets, trademark strategy is no longer a formal procedure to be completed before starting business. It has become a practical defensive measure for reducing market-entry risk.