“The phrase low carb is hot. The word Internet is not.
That’s what the latest trends in trademark applications show.
Spurred by the growing popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, the number of trademark filings that contain a version of the word carb skyrocketed more than tenfold in the first quarter, according to a report that has tracked such filings since 1992.
Internet-related filings, meanwhile, languished near six-year lows, the report found.” Trademarks coming up low-carb; Satisfying rise in number of trademark filings a healthy sign for U.S. economy, by John Shinal, SF Chronicle, May 1, 2004
This should not be a surprise to anyone. What I’d really be interested in seeing is the number of filings that are actually used, and the corresponding number that are abandoned (that is, they were registered with an intent to use them as brand names, but the products were never launched, or the company went out of business, or something).
The fall in applications for Internet-related names (defined here as using the words “global computer network” or “Internet” in their goods and services descriptions) is, I think, recognition that businesses are becoming more specialized w/r/t the Internet. I’d bet that the number of marks including the words “networking” or “wireless communication” have risen. That’s what we’re seeing on the client side, anyway.
