Olswang beats FFW on trademark filings

Olswang has leapfrogged Field Fisher Waterhouse (FFW) to become the UK's most active law firm for trademark filing, applying for 154 trademarks in 2006.

Olswang increased its filings by 40 per cent to reach 34th in the Institute of Trademark Attorneys' (ITMA) trademark filing table.

Joel Barry, head of the firm's trademark prosecution team, said: "We've been steadily increasing over the last three years. We think there are great benefits to be had with a one-stop shop in IP."

Pinsent Masons and FFW both filed 145 applications, both up 30 per cent from 111 in 2005, coming 36th and 37th respectively. Rouse & Co, Taylor Wessing and Howrey came 41st, 47th and 49th respectively.

Marks & Clerk was the number one trademark filer in 2006, applying for 1,028. The firm filed 349 more applications than its closest rival Urquhart-Dykes & Lord.

In total the top 50 filers applied for 33,010 trademarks, up 12 per cent from the 29,400 requested in 2005.

The fastest-growing firm was RevoMark, which grew by more than 800 per cent to leap to sixth in the table. RevoMark is the creation of Eugene Pienaar, the firm's sole trademark attorney. Pienaar set up RevoMark in November 2005 and last year filed 345 trademark applications on his own.