About TM-Link

TM-Link is an international dataset in which similar trade marks from different countries have been linked together based on common information, such as similar trade mark phrases and applicant names. These links identify families of international trade marks, which provide a new and unique insight into international branding trends and export behaviours.

TM-Link uses machine learning to link international trade mark data via company names, Nice class and text. This facilitates multiple levels of insight, from a broad overview of global trade mark trends down to a focus on the branding strategies of individual companies.

Currently, the TM-Link database contains over 15 million trade mark applications from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union and the United States. We intend to further expand TM-Link to include additional countries as data becomes available.

TM-Link is a collaborative effort between IP Australia, Swinburne University of Technology and the University of Melbourne, made possible through a collaborative research grant from the Australian Research Council.

Benefits

The ability to analyse how trade marks and brands are used in different markets creates new opportunities for global research in branding trends and export behaviours. By using the data available through TM-Link, deeper economic insights can be explored and used to help improve data-driven decisions.

For example, TM-Link can help map the journey a trade mark holder takes with their brand, domestically and abroad, and could potentially be used to identify export activity linked with trade marks filed internationally. For intellectual property offices, TM-Link may provide insight into filing trends that could inform workforce planning.

The full benefits of TM-Link are still being explored and we look forward to sharing more insights with you.

If you have used TM-Link to help solve a problem or answer a question, we’d love to hear from you. To share your story, please email us at IPDataPlatform@ipaustralia.gov.au.

If you have published an academic paper, conference paper, or working paper using TM-Link data, head to the Publications page and click the “Let us know about your publication” button — we will then post a link to your publication on that page.