Rules and transparency
Trademark applications covering franchise services total 14,993 in 2024, 3.29% of the total
Trademark applications filed in 2024 with franchise services in the class 35 specification, 3.29% of all applications
See the full table (20 rows)
| Filing year | Applications with franchising | Share of all trademark applications | Corporate holder | Individual holder | Registration in force today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 14,993 | 3.29% | 10,415 | 4,266 | 8,680 |
| 2023 | 14,235 | 3.44% | 10,203 | 3,816 | 7,186 |
| 2022 | 13,842 | 3.61% | 10,095 | 3,571 | 7,453 |
| 2021 | 15,054 | 4.01% | 10,765 | 4,097 | 8,416 |
| 2020 | 10,013 | 3.51% | 7,053 | 2,826 | 5,754 |
| 2019 | 6,539 | 2.65% | 4,849 | 1,588 | 3,764 |
| 2018 | 4,912 | 2.39% | 3,666 | 1,140 | 2,730 |
| 2017 | 3,352 | 1.80% | 2,514 | 742 | 1,700 |
| 2016 | 2,584 | 1.55% | 1,977 | 520 | 1,224 |
| 2015 | 2,231 | 1.39% | 1,690 | 446 | 997 |
| 2014 | 2,002 | 1.26% | 1,608 | 242 | 913 |
| 2013 | 1,716 | 1.04% | 1,369 | 190 | 655 |
| 2012 | 1,299 | 0.87% | 1,065 | 111 | 398 |
| 2011 | 1,343 | 0.89% | 1,066 | 113 | 358 |
| 2010 | 845 | 0.66% | 695 | 60 | 232 |
| 2009 | 634 | 0.56% | 518 | 42 | 173 |
| 2008 | 531 | 0.44% | 405 | 29 | 157 |
| 2007 | 315 | 0.30% | 250 | 9 | 97 |
| 2006 | 158 | 0.16% | 107 | 6 | 46 |
| 2005 | 142 | 0.14% | 103 | 7 | 40 |
Applicants for trademark registration at INPI (the national industrial property institute) state the class of products or services the mark will identify and describe, in the specification, the protected activities. In class 35 of the Nice Classification, that of business activities, the specification may include franchise services, a mention that indicates the intention to protect the trademark for that activity as well. Item XIV of Article 2º of Law 13.966 of 2019 (in Portuguese) requires the disclosure document (Circular de Oferta de Franquia) to characterize the trademark, with the number of the registration or of the filed application. The indicator counts, in INPI's open trademark data, the applications with franchising in the class 35 specification, by filing year.
There were 14,993 applications in 2024, compared with 845 in 2010 and 142 in 2005. The growth exceeds that of trademark applications in general, since the share of applications with franchising went from 0.66% in 2010 to 3.29% in 2024, after reaching 4.01% in 2021, a year in which applications totaled 15,054. From January to August 2025, the latest months with the classification published, there were 10,798 applications, 7.9% more than in the same period of 2024.
The share of individuals among holders also grew, from 7.1% of applications in 2010 to 28.5% in 2024. Since 2005, holders domiciled in São Paulo account for 33,019 applications, followed by those in Minas Gerais, with 12,624, and Paraná, with 12,282.
How we calculate
We used the open trademark data files of INPI published on October 10, 2026, with the Nice classification and the specification of each application, the bibliographic data and the applicants. An application enters the indicator when the class 35 specification mentions franchising, in Portuguese or in English, and each filing counts once, by filing date. The holder type and the state come from the first applicant of the filing, without the name or document number of individuals. The share compares applications with franchising to the total trademark applications filed in the same year. Because the classification is only published after the formal examination, about a year after filing, the annual series runs to 2024, the last year with the classification published for all months, and 2025 appears only in the January to August comparison with the same period of the previous year.
What this figure does not show
- The mention of franchising in the specification indicates the intention to protect the trademark for that activity as well, and not that the network exists, that it sells franchises or that the application has been granted.
- Part of the specifications reproduce standardized lists of class 35 services, in which franchising appears alongside other business activities.
- Changes in the edition of the Nice Classification and in the way specifications are written over the years affect comparisons between distant periods.
- INPI's open data only include the specification of applications already published, and an application not yet examined does not appear in the count.
- The status of each application is the one on the date of the files and changes as the proceeding advances.
Frequently asked questions
How many franchise trademarks are registered each year at INPI?
In 2024, 14,993 trademark applications included franchise services in the class 35 specification, 3.29% of all trademark applications filed in the year. In 2010 there were 845.
Does a trademark need to be registered to sell franchises?
No. Law 13.966 of 2019 requires the disclosure document (Circular de Oferta de Franquia) to report the status of the trademark, with the number of the registration or of the application filed at INPI (the national industrial property institute), class and subclass, and the STJ (Superior Court of Justice) held, in special appeal REsp 2.096.630, that registration is not a condition for the validity of the contract when the application has been filed and is stated in the disclosure document.
Can an individual apply to register a franchise trademark?
In the data of INPI (the national industrial property institute), 28.5% of the applications covering franchise services filed in 2024 had an individual as the first holder, compared with 7.1% in 2010.
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Maintained by Marktech, which serves franchise networks and franchises. The brands cited belong to their owners and are mentioned here only to identify the network the data refers to.