Statistics

14 tables Patent applications and patents

4 tables Utility models and topographies

8 tables National trade marks

5 tables Designs

2 tables Other topics

To generate the statistical data, we use the dynamic statistics system DPMAstatistik. Due to this dynamic, the values can change over time, for example, when a legal status change has a retrospective effect. For this reason, the values depend on the respective date of retrieval.

More detailed statistics are available in the March edition of the gazette Blatt für Patent-, Muster- und Zeichenwesen (Blatt für PMZ), published by Carl Heymanns Verlag.

funded by the European Union's NextGenerationEU programme

The DPMA has received funding from the European Union's NextGenerationEU programme to improve the technical infrastructure and the data basis of the in-house statistical system.

Bereich Patente

Patent applications and patents

1.1 National patent applications at the DPMA and international patent applications effective in Germany

1.1 National patent applications at the DPMA and international patent applications effective in Germany (PCT applications in the national phase)1 Applications for a German patent filed with the DPMA. / 2 Residence or principal place of business of the applicant.
Year National applications 1 PCT applications in the national phase Patent Applications
Domestic2Foreign2TotalDomestic2Foreign2TotalDomestic2Foreign2Total
2019 45,530 14,392 59,922 1,101 6,406 7,507 46,631 20,798 67,429
2020 41,098 13,487 54,585 1,171 6,354 7,525 42,269 19,841 62,110
2021 38,986 12,689 51,675 843 6,057 6,900 39,829 18,746 58,575
2022 36,517 13,690 50,207 687 6,318 7,005 37,204 20,008 57,212
2023 37,732 13,481 51,213 737 6,706 7,443 38,469 20,187 58,656

1.2 Patent applications before entry into the examination procedure

1.2 Patent applications before entry into the examination procedure1 New applications and cases referred back by the Federal Patent Court, allowed appeals, reinstatements.
2 Withdrawals, non-payment of application or annual renewal fees, examination request not filed and refusals.
Year Total applications received  1 Procedures concluded before filing of examination request2 Patent applications pending at the end of the year
Total Applications for which formal examination has been concluded
2019 60,012 20,799 150,728 144,447
2020 54,710 20,891 149,039 143,201
2021 51,768 21,412 143,796 138,745
2022 50,292 18,404 140,121 134,450
2023 51,307 16,775 137,982 132,128

1.3 Patent applications in the examination procedure

1.3 Patent applications in the examination procedure
Year Examination requests received Examination procedures concluded Patent grants published
TotalExamination requests received along with application
2019 47,347 26,003 40,188 18,255
2020 43,352 23,392 41,766 17,305
2021 43,351 22,693 48,508 21,113
2022 43,466 22,681 45,513 23,591
2023 44,489 23,977 42,634 22,363

1.4 Patents in force (granted by the DPMA)

1.4 Patents in force (granted by the DPMA)
Year Patents entered into force Patents no longer in force Patents in force at the end of the year
2019 18,299 15,745 132,014
2020 17,336 17,004 132,333
2021 21,145 18,733 134,732
2022 23,622 15,676 142,671
2023 22,383 16,675 148,359

1.5 Opposition proceedings

1.5 Opposition proceedings1 Opposition proceedings concluded by surrender, non-payment of the annual renewal fee, revocation, maintenance, maintenance in amended form.
2 Including a substantial part of the proceedings pending before the Federal Patent Court.
Year Oppositions received Opposition proceedings concluded Opposition proceedings pending at the end of the year2
Total1 Patent revoked Patent maintained or patent maintained in amended form
2019 294 415 141 223 1,183
2020 259 304 102 148 1,139
2021 252 249 80 117 1,141
2022 230 307 93 162 1,064
2023 276 288 89 157 1,054

1.6 Percentage of patent applications where the applicant is identical with the inventor, broken down by residence or principal place of business of the applicant

1.6 Percentage of patent applications in which the applicant is identical with the inventor, broken down by residence or principal place of business of the applicant
Origin 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
National 6.4 7.2 6.9 5.9 5.2
Foreign 1.4 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.2
Total 5.1 5.8 5.6 4.7 4.1

1.7 Breakdown of domestic patent applicants by filing activity (%)

1.7 Breakdown of domestic patent applicants by filing activity (%) 
Percentage of applicants having filed 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
one application 64.8 66.9 66.7 65.3 63.4
2 to 10 applications 30.4 28.9 28.8 29.6 31.4
11 to 100 applications 4.2 3.8 4.0 4.5 4.5
more then 100 applications 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.6
Total 100 100 100 100 100
1.7 Breakdown of domestic patent applicants by filing activity (%) 
Percentage of applications by appplicants having filed 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
one application 11.3 13.2 12.7 11.2 10.0
2 to 10 applications 17.9 18.9 18.3 17.6 17.0
11 to 100 applications 21.5 21.3 19.7 21.1 20.9
more then 100 applications 49.4 46.7 49.3 50.2 52.1
Total 100 100 100 100 100

1.8 Patent applications by country of origin (residence or principal place of business of the applicant, applications at the DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase)

1.8 Patent applications by country of origin (residence or principal place of business of the applicant)
(applications at the DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase)
Country 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Germany 46,631 42,269 39,829 37,204 38,469
United States 6,207 5,880 5,893 6,850 6,694
Japan 7,957 7,248 6,130 6,339 6,402
Republic of Korea 1,262 1,617 1,558 1,636 1,421
Switzerland 809 777 867 863 997
China 449 499 568 702 928
Austria 713 765 782 867 878
Taiwan 737 933 753 497 558
Sweden 380 321 320 360 319
France 460 303 400 428 315
Other 1,824 1,498 1,475 1,466 1,675
Total 67,429 62,110 58,575 57,212 58,656

1.9 Patent applications (applications at DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase) broken down by German Land (residence or principal place of business of the applicant)

1.9 Patent applications (applications at DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase) by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the applicant)
German Länder 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Baden-Württemberg 15,239 13,686 13,573 13,444 14,648
Bavaria 14,034 12,702 11,879 10,549 10,805
Berlin 677 675 526 484 476
Brandenburg 297 295 257 229 195
Bremen 142 121 102 104 109
Hamburg 762 622 463 377 401
Hesse 1,542 1,568 1,479 1,202 1,089
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 89 107 98 177 122
Lower Saxony 3,852 3,233 2,985 2,792 2,825
North Rhine-Westphalia 7,019 6,398 5,675 5,293 5,527
Rhineland-Palatinate 834 781 856 805 605
Saarland 215 192 178 137 98
Saxony 668 642 604 592 544
Saxony-Anhalt 194 159 154 122 140
Schleswig-Holstein 469 481 475 426 383
Thuringia 598 607 525 471 502
Germany 46,631 42,269 39,829 37,204 38,469

1.10 Patent applications, shares and applications per 100,000 inhabitants by German Länder

1.10 Patent applications, shares and applications per 100,000 inhabitants by German Länder (residence or prinicpal place of business of the applicant)
German Länder 2022 2023 Change from 2022 to 2023 (%)
Applications Share Applications per 100,000 inhabitants Applications Share Applications per 100,000 inhabitants
Baden-Württemberg 13,444 36.1 119 14,648 38.1 130 +9.0
Bavaria 10,549 28.4 79 10,805 28.1 81 +2.4
North Rhine-Westphalia 5,293 14.2 29 5,527 14.4 30 +4.4
Lower Saxony 2,792 7.5 34 2,825 7.3 35 +1.2
Hesse 1,202 3.2 19 1,089 2.8 17 -9.4
Rhineland-Palatinate 805 2.2 19 605 1.6 15 -24.8
Saxony 592 1.6 14 544 1.4 13 -8.1
Thuringia 471 1.3 22 502 1.3 24 +6.6
Berlin 484 1.3 13 476 1.2 13 -1.7
Hamburg 377 1.0 20 401 1.0 21 +6.4
Schleswig-Holstein 426 1.1 14 383 1.0 13 -10.1
Brandenburg 229 0.6 9 195 0.5 8 -14.8
Saxony-Anhalt 122 0.3 6 140 0.4 6 +14.8
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 177 0.5 11 122 0.3 7 -31.1
Bremen 104 0.3 15 109 0.3 16 +4.8
Saarland 137 0.4 14 98 0.3 10 -28.5
Germany 37,204 100 44 38,469 100 46 +3.4

1.11 Leading fields of technology1 in the individual German Länder in 2023

1.11 Leading fields of technology in the individual German Länder in 20231According to the WIPO IPC-Technology Concordance Table.
German Länder No. Fields of technology Patent applications Change from 2022 to 2023 (%)
Baden-Württemberg 32 Transport 3,264 +19.0
1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 2,272 +18.1
10 Measurement 1,327 +4.2
Bavaria 32 Transport 2,313 +0.9
1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 1,750 +13.2
31 Mechanical elements 728 -20.8
Berlin 32 Transport 54 +17.4
6 Computer technology 37 +19.4
13 Medical technology 34 +3.0
Brandenburg 1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 24 -53.8
32 Transport 24 +26.3
27 Engines, pumps, turbines 15 -50.0
Bremen 10 Measurement 20 +33.3
1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 19 -13.6
32 Transport 17 -15.0
Hamburg 13 Medical technology 64 +10.3
25 Handling 59 -18.1
14 Organic fine chemistry 38 +40.7
Hesse 13 Medical technology 91 +31.9
31 Mechanical elements 89 -27.6
10 Measurement 86 -13.1
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 33 Furniture, games 12 +100.0
32 Transport 11 -66.7
34 Other consumer goods 10 +100.0
Lower Saxony 32 Transport 832 +1.1
29 Other special machines 253 +0.8
1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 233 -24.6
North Rhine-Westphalia 1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 640 -3.5
35 Civil engineering 493 +1.6
10 Measurement 434 +31.1
Rhineland-Palatinate 1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 64 +25.5
35 Civil engineering 64 +36.2
31 Mechanical elements 57 -8.1
Saarland 31 Mechanical elements 15 -31.8
23 Chemical engineering 13 -7.1
1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 10 +25.0
Saxony 1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 69 -19.8
10 Measurement 54 +28.6
6 Computer technology 36 +12.5
Saxony-Anhalt 1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 18 +12.5
8 Semiconductors 17 +88.9
13 Medical technology 12 +50.0
Schleswig-Holstein 10 Measurement 45 +25.0
13 Medical technology 39 -20.4
19 Basic materials chemistry 26 -29.7
Thuringia 13 Medical technology 94 +6.8
9 Optics 82 +17.1
1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 61 +69.4

1.12 Patent applications filed by universities by German Länder

1.12 Patent applications filed by universities by German Länder (applications at the DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase)1 Due to rounding differences the sum of the figures may differ from the figure for Germany.
German Länder 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Baden-Württemberg 72 66 72 49 39
Bavaria 61 59 44 58 41
Berlin 22 16 12 15 9
Brandenburg 13 14 15 12 5
Bremen 12 12 8 12 3
Hamburg 15 17 16 7 8
Hesse 42 45 44 22 32
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 14 19 20 11 8
Lower Saxony 45 43 29 29 26
North Rhine-Westphalia 141 131 131 114 111
Rhineland-Palatinate 11 10 15 13 13
Saarland 13 5 7 2 1
Saxony 120 118 109 105 93
Saxony-Anhalt 26 27 26 10 16
Schleswig-Holstein 19 22 17 15 20
Thuringia 30 26 24 28 26
Germany1 655 629 587 502 449

1.13 Patent applications by technology fields1 with the largest number of applications in 2023

Patent applications by technology fields with the largest number of applications in 2023 as line chart

Technology field 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Transport 12,892 (Rank 1) 10,781 (Rank 1) 10,497 (Rank 1) 10,360 (Rank 1) 10,618 (Rank 1)
Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 7,181 (Rank 2) 7,025 (Rank 2) 7,180 (Rank 2) 7,331 (Rank 2) 8,056 (Rank 2)
Measurement 5,067 (Rank 4) 4,581 (Rank 3) 4,493 (Rank 3) 4,292 (Rank 3) 4,437 (Rank 3)
Mechanical elements 5,400 (Rank 3) 4,434 (Rank 4) 4,088 (Rank 4) 3,605 (Rank 4) 3,359 (Rank 4)
Computer technology 2,642 (Rank 6) 3,143 (Rank 5) 2,905 (Rank 5) 3,487 (Rank 5) 3,325 (Rank 5)
Other special machines 2,163 (Rank 11) 2,033 (Rank 12) 1,902 (Rank 12) 1,941 (Rank 6) 1,869 (Rank 9)
Engines, pumps, turbines 3,457 (Rank 5) 2,707 (Rank 6) 2,303 (Rank 6) 1,890 (Rank 7) 1,803 (Rank 10)
Handling 2,341 (Rank 8) 2,055 (Rank 11) 1,933 (Rank 11) 1,886 (Rank 8) 2,114 (Rank 7)
Semiconductors 2,151 (Rank 12) 2,242 (Rank 9) 1,940 (Rank 10) 1,869 (Rank 9) 2,179 (Rank 6)
Machine tools 2,416 (Rank 7) 2,267 (Rank 8) 1,958 (Rank 9) 1,853 (Rank 10) 1,904 (Rank 8)
Civil engineering 2,335 (Rank 9) 2,166 (Rank 10) 1,981 (Rank 7) 1,851 (Rank 11) 1,746 (Rank 11)
Medical technology 2,165 (Rank 10) 2,384 (Rank 7) 1,978 (Rank 8) 1,762 (Rank 12) 1,669 (Rank 12)
1.13 Patent applications by technology fields with the largest number of applications in 2023 (applications at DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase)1 According to the WIPO IPC-Technology Concordance Table.

1.14 Companies and institutions with the highest numbers of patent applications in 2023 (applications at DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase)

1.14 Companies and institutions with the highest numbers of patent applications in 2023
(applications at the DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase)1 Proportional counting in the case of several applicants; without taking into account any business intra-group affiliations.
Rank Applicant1 Principal place of business Applications
1 Robert Bosch GmbH DE 4,160
2 Mercedes-Benz Group AG DE 2,046
3 Bayerische Motoren Werke AG DE 1,963
4 GM Global Technology Operations LLC   US 1,640
5 ZF Friedrichshafen AG DE 1,309
6 Ford Global Technologies, LLC   US 1,175
7 Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG DE 1,040
8 VOLKSWAGEN AG DE 1,031
9 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG DE 913
10 AUDI AG DE 865
11 Mitsubishi Electric Corporation   JP 686
12 FANUC Corporation   JP 507
13 Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH DE 420
14 International Business Machines Corporation   US 388
15 Continental Automotive GmbH DE 372
16 Infineon Technologies AG DE 363
17 Miele & Cie. KG DE 356
18 ams-OSRAM International GmbH DE 321
19 BSH Hausgeräte GmbH DE 310
19 NVIDIA Corporation   US 310
21 Toyota Jidosha K.K.   JP 309
22 Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. DE 286
23 Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.   JP 267
24 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.   TW 264
25 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e. V. DE 263
26 Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH DE 262
27 DENSO Corporation   JP 249
28 Intel Corporation   US 244
29 MAHLE International GmbH DE 241
30 Hyundai Motor Company   KR 221
31 Siemens Healthcare GmbH DE 218
32 Kia Corporation   KR 217
33 Valeo Schalter und Sensoren GmbH DE 216
34 KRONES AG DE 215
35 SEW-EURODRIVE GmbH & Co KG DE 210
36 LG Display Co. Ltd.   KR 209
37 Daimler Truck AG DE   206
38 Siemens AG DE   203
39 Siemens Mobility GmbH DE 190
40 Deere & Company   US 188
41 HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA DE 181
42 CARIAD SE DE   179
43 Shimano Inc.   JP 172
44 Apple Inc. US 171
44 ROHM Co., Ltd.   JP 171
46 Voith Patent GmbH DE 170
47 Henkel AG & Co. KGaA DE   167
48 Vitesco Technologies GmbH DE 163
49 Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG DE   156
50 Aktiebolaget SKF   SE 150
50 ZF CV Systems Global GmbH   CH 150
Section Utility models

Utility models and topographies

2.1 Utility models (applications at DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase)

2.1a Utility models (applications at the DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase)
Year Filings  Procedures concluded
New applicationsDomestic applicationsOther 1TotalBy registrationWithout registrationTotal
2019 11,667 8,435 14 11,681 10,295 1,540 11,835
2020 12,313 8,894 15 12,328 10,736 1,496 12,232
2021 10,575 7,028 16 10,591 9,972 1,364 11,336
2022 9,470 5,524 14 9,484 8,765 1,083 9,848
2023 9,709 5,509 9 9,718 8,325 996 9,321
2.1b Utility models (applications at the DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase)1 Cases referred back by the Federal Patent Court, allowed appeals, reinstatements.
Year Pending registration procedures at the end of the yearUtility models in force at the end of the yearRenewalsLapsed utility models
2019 3,817 76,905 18,953 12,682
2020 3,913 74,869 18,308 12,805
2021 3,165 72,738 18,178 12,129
2022 2,794 70,254 17,632 11,272
2023 3,189 67,016 16,817 11,590

2.2 Topographies under the Semiconductor Protection Act (Halbleiterschutzgesetz)

2.2 Topographies under the Semiconductor Protection Act (Halbleiterschutzgesetz)
Year New applications received Procedures concluded Pending applications at the end of the year Lapsed due to expiry Registrations in force at the end of the year
By registrationWithout registrationTotal
2019 0 0 0 0 0 2 21
2020 0 0 0 0 0 1 20
2021 3 1 2 3 0 1 20
2022 2 1 0 1 1 2 19
2023 1 1 0 1 1 8 12

2.3 Utility model applications (applications at DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase) by German Länder

2.3 Utility model applications (applications at the DPMA and PCT applications in the national phase) by German Land (residence or principal place of business of the applicant)
German Länder 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Baden-Württemberg 1,580 1,578 1,292 1,092 1,003
Bavaria 1,902 2,019 1,535 1,205 1,254
Berlin 342 343 254 189 199
Brandenburg 164 106 97 62 69
Bremen 34 46 32 28 24
Hamburg 140 154 128 97 90
Hesse 479 615 493 330 376
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 43 61 55 37 61
Lower Saxony 563 596 541 419 344
North Rhine-Westphalia 2,174 2,250 1,699 1,399 1,468
Rhineland-Palatinate 352 352 283 208 198
Saarland 49 68 49 26 29
Saxony 222 286 198 150 155
Saxony-Anhalt 98 109 69 60 59
Schleswig-Holstein 167 180 175 136 106
Thuringia 126 131 128 86 74
Germany 8,435 8,894 7,028 5,524 5,509

2.4 Utility model applications, shares and applications per 100,000 inhabitants by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the applicant)

2.4 Utility model applications, shares and applications per 100,000 inhabitants by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the applicant)
German Länder 2022 2023 Change from 2022 to 2023 (%)
Applications Share Applications per 100,000 inhabitants Applications Share Applications per 100,000 inhabitants
North Rhine-Westphalia 1,399 25.3 8 1,468 26.6 8 +4.9
Bavaria 1,205 21.8 9 1,254 22.8 9 +4.1
Baden-Württemberg 1,092 19.8 10 1,003 18.2 9 -8.2
Hesse 330 6.0 5 376 6.8 6 +13.9
Lower Saxony 419 7.6 5 344 6.2 4 -17.9
Berlin 189 3.4 5 199 3.6 5 +5.3
Rhineland-Palatinate 208 3.8 5 198 3.6 5 -4.8
Saxony 150 2.7 4 155 2.8 4 +3.3
Schleswig-Holstein 136 2.5 5 106 1.9 4 -22.1
Hamburg 97 1.8 5 90 1.6 5 -7.2
Thuringia 86 1.6 4 74 1.3 3 -14.0
Brandenburg 62 1.1 2 69 1.3 3 +11.3
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 37 0.7 2 61 1.1 4 +64.9
Saxony-Anhalt 60 1.1 3 59 1.1 3 -1.7
Saarland 26 0.5 3 29 0.5 3 +11.5
Bremen 28 0.5 4 24 0.4 4 -14.3
Germany 5,524 100 7 5,509 100 7 -0.3
Bereich Marken

National trade marks

3.1 Applications and registrations

3.1 Applications and registrations1 Proportion of claimed service classes in all claimed classes in national trade mark applications, as a trade mark application may be assigned to several classes.
Year Filings  Registration pursuant to section 41 Trade Mark Act (Markengesetz)
New applications After being concluded by the Federal Patent Court Total
Total Domestic applications Proportion of services (%) 1
2019 73,627 68,252 46.1 396 74,023 55,034
2020 84,623 78,713 44.8 336 84,959 60,444
2021 87,649 81,816 44.0 282 87,931 68,632
2022 73,312 68,192 44.3 284 73,596 53,631
2023 75,260 69,595 42.6 253 75,513 48,665

3.2 Opposition proceedings

3.2 Opposition proceedings1 (Partial) cancellations in particular due to the surrender of the proprietor.
Year Oppositions received Opposition proceedings concluded
Trade marks challenged by oppositions Number of oppositions Number of opposing signs  Without affecting the trade mark Cancellation in full or in part Procedure obsolete1
2019 2,994 3,289 5,195 1,909 438 636
2020 2,842 3,063 4,816 1,893 521 662
2021 3,305 3,565 5,699 1,784 428 680
2022 2,764 2,982 4,955 1,750 530 638
2023 2,161 2,294 3,833 1,738 590 548

3.3 Cancellations, renewals, trade marks in force

3.3 Cancellations, renewals, trade marks in force
Year Cancellations as well as other disposals Renewals Trade marks in force at the end of the year
2019 40,312 39,834 830,465
2020 45,181 39,491 845,707
2021 45,818 35,945 868,512
2022 41,521 34,369 880,608
2023 40,535 34,296 888,713

3.4 Procedures for the international registration of marks

3.4a Applications for international registration of marks originating from Germany
Year Applications for international registration of trade marks originating from Germany
Applications received Procedures concluded Cases pending at the end of the year
Applications transmitted to WIPO 1 Applications withdrawn or refused
2019 4,638 4,651 116 271
2020 4,415 4,255 137 294
2021 4,958 4,779 125 351
2022 4,385 4,386 120 230
2023 3,612 3,529 105 209
3.4b Extension of protection of international registrations of marks originating from Madrid Union countries to Germany1 Not including requests for the extension of protection under Art. 3ter(2) Madrid Agreement; 68 requests for the extension of protection were received in 2023, and 65 requests were transmitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
2 Not including other requests and not including renewals.
Year Extension of protection of international registrations of marks originating
from Madrid Union countries to Germany
Requests received 2 Procedures concluded Cases pending at the end of the year Requests received
Full grant of protection Grant of protection in part Refusal, surrender or cancellation in the International Register Oppositions Appeals
2019 5,196 4,069 355 701 3,330 215 14
2020 4,819 3,583 336 772 3,456 172 23
2021 4,686 2,969 371 1,222 3,577 171 26
2022 4,118 3,559 287 712 3,134 145 34
2023 3,435 3,274 262 728 2,305 115 23

3.5 National trade mark applications by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the applicant)

3.5 National trade mark applications by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the applicant)
German Länder 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Baden-Württemberg 8,539 10,141 9,992 8,362 8,336
Bavaria 12,280 14,470 14,846 12,522 11,183
Berlin 5,459 5,929 6,009 5,190 4,781
Brandenburg 1,208 1,440 1,388 1,168 1,164
Bremen 604 633 749 533 485
Hamburg 3,442 4,090 4,188 3,257 3,192
Hesse 5,552 6,311 6,445 5,272 5,276
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 670 765 852 615 572
Lower Saxony 5,118 5,709 6,085 4,691 5,076
North Rhine-Westphalia 15,547 18,124 19,858 17,710 20,392
Rhineland-Palatinate 3,155 3,606 3,805 2,801 3,044
Saarland 581 723 639 499 544
Saxony 2,067 2,314 2,275 1,841 1,927
Saxony-Anhalt 814 851 818 707 707
Schleswig-Holstein 2,275 2,648 2,789 2,145 2,127
Thuringia 941 959 1,078 879 789
Germany 68,252 78,713 81,816 68,192 69,595

3.6 Trade mark applications, shares and number of applications per 100,000 inhabitants by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the proprietor)

3.6 Trade mark applications, shares and number of applications per 100,000 inhabitants by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the proprietor)
German Länder 2022 2023 Change from 2022 to 2023 (%)
Applications Share Applications per 100,000 inhabitants Applications Share Applications per 100,000 inhabitants
North Rhine-Westphalia 17,710 26.0 98 20,392 29.3 112 +15.1
Bavaria 12,522 18.4 94 11,183 16.1 84 -10.7
Baden-Württemberg 8,362 12.3 74 8,336 12.0 74 -0.3
Hesse 5,272 7.7 82 5,276 7.6 83 +0.1
Lower Saxony 4,691 6.9 58 5,076 7.3 62 +8.2
Berlin 5,190 7.6 138 4,781 6.9 127 -7.9
Hamburg 3,257 4.8 172 3,192 4.6 169 -2.0
Rhineland-Palatinate 2,801 4.1 67 3,044 4.4 73 +8.7
Schleswig-Holstein 2,145 3.1 73 2,127 3.1 72 -0.8
Saxony 1,841 2.7 45 1,927 2.8 47 +4.7
Brandenburg 1,168 1.7 45 1,164 1.7 45 -0.3
Thuringia 879 1.3 41 789 1.1 37 -10.2
Saxony-Anhalt 707 1.0 32 707 1.0 32 0.0
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 615 0.9 38 572 0.8 35 -7.0
Bremen 499 0.7 50 544 0.8 55 9.0
Saarland 533 0.8 78 485 0.7 71 -9.0
Germany 68,192 100 81 69,595 100 82 +2.1

3.7 Classes of national trade marks applied for1

3.7 Classes of national trade marks applied for1A trade mark application can be attributed to several classes.
2 Class headings in accordance with the current version of the Nice Classification are available here.
Rank Class Class essentially includes 2 2022 2023 Change (%)
1 35 Advertising; business management, organisation and administration; office functions 24,704 24,088 -2.5
2 41 Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities 18,222 18,386 +0.9
3 9 Electrical apparatus and instruments; computer hardware; software; optical apparatus and instruments 14,596 14,195 -2.7
4 42 Scientific and technological services 13,370 12,444 -6.9
5 25 Clothing, footwear and headgear 11,376 12,382 +8.8
6 16 Office requisites; stationery 8,966 9,893 +10.3
7 21 Household and kitchen utensils and containers; articles for cleaning purposes; tableware, dishes; glassware 6,954 7,806 +12.3
8 44 Medical services; hygienic and beauty care; agriculture, horticulture and forestry services 6,570 6,572 0.0
9 28 Games, sports articles 5,566 6,226 +11.9
10 36 Insurance and financial services; real estate affairs 6,636 5,789 -12.8
11 30 Foodstuffs of plant origin; pastries, pasta and confectionery; seasonings, condiments; coffee, tea and cocoa; sugar 5,557 5,772 +3.9
12 18 Leather products; luggage and carrying bags 5,115 5,744 +12.3
13 43 Services for providing food and drink; temporary accommodation 5,585 5,691 +1.9
14 37 Building, construction and repair services; installation services 6,038 5,605 -7.2
15 20 Furniture and home decorations 4,966 5,097 +2.6
16 3 Cleaning preparations; cosmetics; perfumery 4,907 5,044 +2.8
17 5 Pharmaceuticals; materials for dressings; disinfectants; dietary supplements 5,083 4,721 -7.1
18 38 Telecommunications services 5,358 4,603 -14.1
19 39 Transport and travel arrangement; packaging and storage of goods 4,571 4,136 -9.5
20 32 Non-alcoholic beverages; beers 4,161 4,071 -2.2
21 24 Woven material and blankets; household linen 3,546 3,904 +10.1
22 11 Heating; ventilation; apparatus and installations for sanitary purposes 3,582 3,884 +8.4
23 45 Legal services; security services for the physical protection of individuals 3,867 3,877 +0.3
24 33 Alcoholic beverages 3,683 3,420 -7.1
25 29 Foodstuffs of animal origin; milk products; processed fruits and vegetables 3,573 3,353 -6.2
26 40 Treatment of materials; printing services 3,971 3,342 -15.8
27 14 Jewellery, clocks and watches 3,002 3,307 +10.2
28 7 Machines, motors and engines 3,476 3,199 -8.0
29 12 Vehicles 3,245 3,151 -2.9
30 6 Common metals and goods made thereof for building and construction; small items of metal hardware 2,610 2,656 +1.8
31 10 Medical apparatus and instruments; orthopaedic articles 2,396 2,322 -3.1
32 31 Agricultural, horticultural and forestry products; foodstuffs for animals 2,535 2,300 -9.3
33 1 Chemicals; fertilizers; unprocessed plastics and artificial resins 2,257 1,981 -12.2
34 8 Hand tools; cutlery 1,905 1,933 +1.5
35 19 Non-metallic building and construction materials 1,844 1,929 +4.6
36 4 Industrial oils and lubricants; fuels 1,652 1,542 -6.7
37 26 Haberdashery; decorative articles for the hair 1,478 1,500 +1.5
38 27 Floor coverings and mats; wall coverings and ceiling lining 936 1,150 +22.9
39 17 Insulating materials; semi-processed goods; flexible pipes, tubes and hoses, not of metal 1,274 1,074 -15.7
40 34 Tobacco, smokers’ articles 1,162 931 -19.9
41 22 Ropes; tents, tarpaulins and sails 939 908 -3.3
42 2 Paints; varnishes; lacquers; printing inks 975 866 -11.2
43 15 Musical instruments 477 389 -18.4
44 23 Yarns and threads 365 233 -36.2
45 13 Firearms 230 200 -13.0
Not classified 31 63
Total 223,312 221,679 -0.7

3.8 Top companies and institutions in terms of trade mark registrations in 2023 (registrations of trade marks pursuant to section 41 of the Trade Mark Act)

3.8 Top companies and institutions in terms of trade mark registrations in 2023 (registrations of trade marks pursuant to section 41 Trade Mark Act)1 Proportional counting in the case of several proprietors; without taking into account any business intra-group affiliations.
Rank Proprietor 1 Principal place of business Registrations
1 Bayerische Motoren Werke AG DE   108
2 Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH DE   94
3 Brillux GmbH & Co. KG
 DE   43
4 Hallingers Genuss Manufaktur GmbH DE   34
5 Evonik Operations GmbH DE   30
6 Bothmer Pyrotechnik GmbH DE   29
7 BioNTech SE DE   28
8 OmniVision GmbH DE   27
9 VOLKSWAGEN AG DE 26
10 Pony Party (Chongqing) International Trade Group Co., Ltd.   CN 25
11 MayProducts Europe UAB   LT 24
12 Heiko Blume GmbH & Co. KG DE   22
13 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. DE 21
13 Henkel AG & Co. KGaA DE   21
15 MIP METRO Group Intellectual Property GmbH & Co. KG DE   20
15 Rotkäppchen - Mumm Sektkellereien GmbH DE   20
17 Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. DE   19
17 MERCK KGaA DE   19
17 NaturaFit Diätetische Lebensmittelproduktions GmbH DE   19
20 NORDWEST Handel AG DE   18
Bereich Designs

Designs

4.1 Applications and procedures concluded

4.1 Applications and procedures concluded1 Provisional for 2023, as the actual number of designs applied for is not known before completion of the registration procedure.
Year Filings1  Procedures concluded
Designs in Total Designs in domestic applications By registration Domestic Without registration Total
Applications with multiple designs Applications with one design
2019 40,843 2,256 43,099 36,398 41,152 36,193 3,841 44,993
2020 37,659 2,493 40,152 35,867 37,130 33,213 4,210 41,340
2021 34,988 2,261 37,249 33,985 31,089 28,329 3,390 34,479
2022 32,637 1,180 33,817 31,777 36,251 34,132 3,602 39,853
2023 27,750 1,184 28,934 27,245 27,011 25,404 2,733 29,744

4.2 Registered designs by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the proprietor)

4.2 Registered designs by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the proprietor)
German Länder 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Baden-Württemberg 6,726 5,056 4,869 5,868 4,762
Bavaria 7,950 6,139 4,853 5,227 4,246
Berlin 1,778 1,731 1,875 2,362 1,579
Brandenburg 297 172 150 277 200
Bremen 110 98 135 185 257
Hamburg 844 715 719 681 697
Hesse 1,362 1,544 1,351 1,511 1,091
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 92 188 134 88 294
Lower Saxony 2,425 2,546 1,729 2,670 1,582
North Rhine-Westphalia 10,957 10,584 9,178 10,581 7,778
Rhineland-Palatinate 1,020 1,114 930 2,089 1,012
Saarland 163 308 115 110 123
Saxony 1,298 1,268 953 903 657
Saxony-Anhalt 274 580 220 244 164
Schleswig-Holstein 658 892 925 788 712
Thuringia 239 278 193 548 250
Germany 36,193 33,213 28,329 34,132 25,404

4.3 Pending designs (applied for) and registered designs in force; invalidity proceedings

4.3 Pending designs (applied for) and registered designs in force; invalidity proceedings
Year Pending designs (applied for) at the end of the year Extensions of registered designs Designs maintained / renewed Cancellations Registered and in force at the end of the year Invalidity proceedings
Applications filed Proceedings concluded
2019 14,707 3,386 15,034 51,458 303,474 29 48
2020 13,517 3,405 15,451 50,005 290,599 59 63
2021 16,273 3,215 16,412 51,200 270,488 19 28
2022 10,227 2,522 15,603 46,340 260,399 36 23
2023 9,393 2,322 13,560 38,520 248,890 15 21

4.4 Registered designs, percentages and designs per 100,000 inhabitants by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the proprietor)

4.4 Registered designs, percentages and designs per 100,000 inhabitants by German Länder (residence or principal place of business of the proprietor)
German Länder 2022 2023 Change from 2022 to 2023 (%)
Registered designs Share Registered designs per 100,000 inhabitants Registered designs Share Registered designs per 100,000 inhabitants
North Rhine-Westphalia 10,581 31.0 58 7,778 30.6 43 -26.5
Baden-Württemberg 5,868 17.2 52 4,762 18.7 42 -18.8
Bavaria 5,227 15.3 39 4,246 16.7 32 -18.8
Lower Saxony 2,670 7.8 33 1,582 6.2 19 -40.7
Berlin 2,362 6.9 63 1,579 6.2 42 -33.1
Hesse 1,511 4.4 24 1,091 4.3 17 -27.8
Rhineland-Palatinate 2,089 6.1 50 1,012 4.0 24 -51.6
Schleswig-Holstein 788 2.3 27 712 2.8 24 -9.6
Hamburg 681 2.0 36 697 2.7 37 +2.3
Saxony 903 2.6 22 657 2.6 16 -27.2
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 88 0.3 5 294 1.2 18 +234.1
Bremen 185 0.5 27 257 1.0 38 +38.9
Thuringia 548 1.6 26 250 1.0 12 -54.4
Brandenburg 277 0.8 11 200 0.8 8 -27.8
Saxony-Anhalt 244 0.7 11 164 0.6 8 -32.8
Saarland 110 0.3 11 123 0.5 12 +11.8
Germany 34,132 100 40 25,404 100 30 -25.6

4.5 Top companies and institutions in terms of registered designs at the DPMA in 2023 (excluding partnerships organised under the German Civil Code)

4.5 Top companies and institutions in terms of registered designs at the DPMA in 2023 (excluding partnerships organised under the German Civil Code)1 Proportional counting in the case of several proprietors; without taking into account any business intra-group affiliations.
Rank Proprietor 1 Principal place of business Registered designs
1 Betty Barclay Group GmbH & Co. KG DE
1,023
2 SWING Collections GmbH DE
753
3 The House of Art GmbH DE
   684
4 Tassenbrennerei GmbH DE
461
5 AstorMueller AG   CH 371
6 SHOE CONZEPT Handels GmbH DE
   351
7 GEMINI Schuhproduktions- und Vertriebs GmbH DE
   349
8 monari GmbH DE
348
9 OLYMP Bezner KG DE
345
10 VISUAL STATEMENTS GmbH DE
300
11 H.W. Hustadt Besitz- und Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbh & Co.KG DE
288
12 VOLKSWAGEN AG DE
246
13 Goebel Porzellan GmbH DE
242
14 Innostyle-Möbelvertriebs GmbH & Co. KG DE
218
15 Räder GmbH DE
200
16 MB Brand Collection UG (haftungsbeschränkt) DE
198
16 Trendteam GmbH & Co. KG DE
198
18 Urban Products Sacha GmbH DE
180
19 Stolkom Sp. z o.o.   PL
 169
20 Wolf Möbel GmbH & Co. KG DE
   168
Bereich DPMA

Other topics

5. Register of anonymous and pseudonymous works

5. Register of anonymous and pseudonymous works1 Some applicants may have submitted several applications or applications for several works.
Year Works in respect of which the author’s true name was filed for registration Applicants 1 Procedures concluded Pending applications at the end of the year
By registration Without registration
2019 4 3 4 0 0
2020 5 2 0 0 5
2021 2 2 6 1 0
2022 6 5 4 1 1
2023 0 0 1 0 0

6. Patent attorneys and representatives

6. Patent attorneys and representatives
Year Patent attorneys  1 European and foreign patent attorneys as members of the German Chamber of Patent Attorneys (section 20 Act on the Activities of European Patent Attorneys in Germany, section 157 Patent Attorney Code) 1  Patent attorney companies1, 2
Entered in register Cancellations Registered at the end of the year
2019 156 78 3,931 36 29
2020 157 66 4,022 37 32
2021 158 81 4,099 40 35
2022 199 93 4,205 44 184
2023 161 120 4,246 49 328
6. Patent attorneys and representatives1 Source: German Chamber of Patent Attorneys.
2 As a rule, all professional practice companies (Berufsausübungsgesellschaften) have been required to obtain admission by the German Chamber of Patent Attorneys (section 52f (1) Patent Attorney Code) since 1 August 2022.
Year Qualifying examination for patent attorneys General powers of attorney
Number of examinees Sucessful candidates Entered in the register Cancelled Registered at the end of the year
2019 144 137 767 293 34,094
2020 163 155 573 318 34,349
2021 174 166 707 369 34,687
2022 168 161 545 558 34,674
2023 147 138 426 389 34,711
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