Have you ever wondered what the first trademark was? The earliest known “trademarks” were discovered in Stone Age cave paintings; the artwork depicted livestock with branding intended to indicate personal property and prevent theft. Since the dawn of man, distinctive marks have been used to claim ownership or distinguish creations. Here are 5 more trademark facts that will make you more intellectual about property:
5 Trademark Facts
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- Ancient Egyptian masonry shows quarry marks and stonecutters signs to name the source of the stone and the laborer who handled the work. (source) The practice of marking goods with a distinct design to verify its origin and quality became more common in the ancient world as the scale of commerce expanded and products became more sophisticated.
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- The earliest trademark registration was the Bakers’ Marking Law. (source) In 1266, the English Parliament issued its first legislation regarding trademarks. This law required all bakers to put a unique mark onto the breads they produced.
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- Monaco applies for the most trademarks per capita in the world. (source) They applied for 4,545 trademarks, or 11,609.20 per 100,000 people!
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- The Madrid Protocol is a treaty that provides trademark holders to ensure protection in multiple countries. (source) Trademarks are territorial and need to be filed in each country where protection is desired. The Madrid Protocol is part of a system that allows trademarks to be filed and managed in over 125 countries. You can also search for identical or similar marks around the world.
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- In 2021, the median loss for trademark and copyright offenses was $229,302! (source) 17.7% involved loss amounts of $40,000 or less and 29.4% involved loss amounts greater than $1.5 million. 60% of offenders were sentenced to prison for an average of 10 months!
