Israel Trademark Landscape 2024: Key Trends and Developments
The Israel Patent Office (ILPO) recently released its 2024 Annual Report, providing insight into the trends and developments across patents, trademarks, and designs. Below, we highlight the main takeaways regarding trademarks.
Improved Processing Times
The Israeli trademark registration landscape underwent significant shifts in 2024, characterized by faster and more efficient examination procedures. After several years of rising filing volumes that placed pressure on processing times, the decline in both applications and classes since 2023 has signaled a period of stabilization, accompanied by noticeable improvements in service levels.
Application Volume Trends
The trademark filing activity in Israel demonstrated a cooling trend in 2024, with 9,602 applications submitted covering 17,748 classifications. This represents a 10% reduction in total filings and a more significant 19% decrease in classification requests compared to the previous year. This normalization follows a period of sustained growth that had previously extended examination timelines.
Enhanced Examination Efficiency
The most significant development for trademark practitioners has been the dramatic improvement in examination schedules. Initial examination waiting periods have been reduced to just 2-3 months by year-end 2024, while subsequent examination phases now require only 1.2 months. This represents a substantial improvement from the 3.9-month initial examination period recorded in 2020, now streamlined to 2 months. The complete process from filing to publication acceptance has similarly improved from 7.6 months in 2020 to 5.4 months in 2024.
Domestic vs. International Activity
Among the applications filed, Israeli entities submitted 1,795 applications, with 1,065 originating from first-time applicants, indicating continued market entry by new businesses. However, international expansion through the Madrid Protocol showed a decline, with only 298 international applications filed by Israeli companies—a 24% decrease from previous figures.
Sectoral Preferences
Technology-related goods continue to dominate trademark registrations, with Class 9 (covering scientific, electrical, and communication devices, computers, and software) maintaining its position as the most popular classification category.
Regulatory Updates
The examination framework has been enhanced with expanded guidelines covering emerging trademark types including sound marks, motion marks, holograms, multimedia marks, and three-dimensional marks. These updates align with European Intellectual Property Office standards and provide clearer guidance for applicants pursuing non-traditional trademark protection.
Registration Outcomes
Despite reduced filing activity, the system successfully processed 10,716 trademark registrations across 22,167 classifications in 2024, demonstrating improved throughput efficiency.
Outlook for Practitioners
The current environment presents favorable conditions for trademark registration in Israel, with significantly reduced waiting times and clearer examination guidelines. The stabilization in application volumes, combined with enhanced processing efficiency, creates an opportune moment for businesses to secure trademark protection in the Israeli market.
Why File in Israel?
Israel offers a dynamic and innovative marketplace, with strong consumer recognition of brand value and an IP office operating at international standards. The combination of expedited examination timelines, harmonized guidelines aligned with European practice, and Israel’s role as a hub for technology-driven industries makes it an attractive jurisdiction for brand owners. Securing trademark protection in Israel not only safeguards rights in the local market but also provides a solid foundation for regional and global brand expansion.
Full Israel Patent Office Annual Report 2024
Erin Sherf is a lawyer and a trademark attorney at Cohn, de Vries, Stadler & Co., serving clients in protecting their trademark rights in Israel and throughout the world.
