What the IP Canada Report 2025 Tells Us About Trademarks in Canada
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office recently released its IP Canada Report 2025, a comprehensive, data-driven snapshot of intellectual property activity in Canada and by Canadian businesses abroad. While the report spans multiple forms of IP, several of its findings are particularly relevant from a trademark perspective.
Trademark filings: a modest pullback, not a retreat
One of the headline observations is that Canadian trademark filings declined modestly in the most recent reporting period, by approximately 4% to 68,672 applications, marking a third consecutive year of slight decreases. While that may sound concerning at first glance, context matters.
This trend is consistent with what has been seen in other developed economies, many of which experienced a significant spike in filings during the pandemic, followed by a normalization and decline beginning around 2022.
Over the past decade, trademark filings in Canada have grown by approximately 35%. As a result, even with recent decreases, filing volumes today remain significantly higher than pre-2019 levels. This reflects the long-term impact of legislative changes, globalization, and increased brand awareness among businesses of all sizes. In other words, this appears to be less about trademarks becoming less important and more about filing activity stabilizing after several years of exceptional growth.
From a practical standpoint, this suggests that businesses are becoming more strategic in how and when they file, prioritizing deliberate, commercially aligned brand protection over defensive or reactive filings.
Canadian brands continue to look outward
The report also highlights continued international trademark activity by Canadian applicants, particularly in major commercial markets such as the United States, Europe, and China. Although outbound filings dipped slightly year over year, Canadian businesses remain active brand exporters.
This reinforces an important reality: trademarks are no longer just a domestic consideration. Even early-stage companies increasingly need to think about cross-border brand clearance, filing strategies, and enforcement much earlier in their growth cycle.
For Canadian businesses with international ambitions, trademarks are often one of the first and most cost-effective tools for protecting enterprise value abroad.
What this means for brand owners
Taken together, the trademark data in the IP Canada Report 2025 points to a maturing landscape. Businesses appear more intentional, more informed, and increasingly aware that trademarks are not merely administrative filings, but core strategic business assets.
For brand owners, this means:
- Thinking proactively about trademark protection rather than treating it as an afterthought
- Aligning trademark filings with real commercial use and growth plans
- Understanding how trademark portfolios fit into broader financing, licensing, and exit strategies
As a lawyer practicing in intellectual property law with a focus on trademarks, I see these trends reflected daily in practice. Clients are asking better questions earlier in the process and are increasingly attuned to how trademarks support long-term brand value.
The IP Canada Report 2025 is a reminder that while filing volumes may fluctuate, the strategic importance of trademarks has not diminished. If anything, it has become more nuanced and more critical as businesses navigate increasingly competitive and global markets.
Trademarks are a critical component of brand strategy and long-term enterprise value. Businesses seeking advice on trademark protection or portfolio management are encouraged to contact Ogilvie LLP’s intellectual property team.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should not rely on this material as a substitute for obtaining legal advice specific to their circumstances.
