Trademark Filings in December 2025: Holiday Season Surge Lifts Volume as AI and Consumer Goods Brands Race to File

Monthly Trademark Filing Report | December 2025 | Based on USPTO Data

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Executive Summary

December 2025 closed the year with 52,688 total trademark applications filed at the USPTO — a robust rebound from November's 13-month low and a figure that held essentially flat against December 2024's 53,448 filings (a year-over-year decline of just 1.4%). The month was defined by a technology sector filing blitz — most visibly from Samsung, which filed at least seven applications in the final two weeks of the year alone — alongside notable holiday-season consumer goods activity and a striking surge in toys and games filings that practitioners should watch heading into Q1 2026.

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1. Overall Filing Volume: A December Rebound From November's Lull

December's 52,688 applications represented a +8.6% jump from November 2025's 48,521 filings, erasing the prior month's year-end slowdown and returning volume to the range that characterized most of the second half of 2025. The month's total was the sixth-highest of any month in the 13-month rolling window analyzed.

Month	Total Filings	MoM Change
Dec 2024	53,448	—
Jan 2025	61,446	+15.0%
Feb 2025	38,331	−37.7%
Mar 2025	52,957	+38.2%
Apr 2025	52,767	−0.4%
May 2025	48,416	−8.2%
Jun 2025	50,426	+4.1%
Jul 2025	54,856	+8.8%
Aug 2025	53,710	−2.1%
Sep 2025	55,958	+4.2%
Oct 2025	52,736	−5.8%
Nov 2025	48,521	−8.0%
Dec 2025	52,688	+8.6%

Comparing December 2025 to December 2024 tells a more nuanced story. Last year's December produced 53,448 filings, making this month's output a modest −1.4% year-over-year decline — well within normal variation and, for practical purposes, flat. Given that January 2025 opened the year at a remarkable 61,446 applications (likely influenced by year-start strategic planning and post-holiday clearance of backlogs), the absence of an equivalent December surge into 2026 suggests filers are pacing more evenly across the calendar rather than front-loading.

The broader 2025 narrative is one of consistent, high-volume activity. Every month from March through December, excluding November's dip, exceeded 50,000 filings or came close. This sustained pace stands in contrast to the more volatile swings of prior years and may reflect a maturing base of sophisticated trademark applicants — including brand-forward e-commerce sellers, AI ventures, and multinational technology companies — who file on rolling schedules rather than in response to a single event.

One important caveat on December data: The status breakdown for December 2025 shows 52,543 applications still pending, only 84 abandoned, and just 4 registered. This is entirely expected — applications filed in the current month have not yet traveled through USPTO examination, publication, and the opposition window. In contrast, December 2024 filings, now 12 months into prosecution, show 22,981 registrations out of 53,448 total — a 43% registration rate. December 2025's final outcomes will not be meaningful to analyze until late 2026.

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2. NICE Class Activity: Technology and Services Dominate, While Apparel Holds Firm

The top 15 NICE classes for December 2025 paint a clear picture: services-oriented and technology-facing classes overwhelmingly dominate new filings, while physical goods categories occupy the back half of the leaderboard.

Rank	NICE Class	Description	Dec 2025 Filings
1	041	Education & Entertainment Services	7,137
2	009	Electronics & Software	7,011
3	035	Business & Advertising Services	5,865
4	042	Scientific & Technology Services	5,439
5	025	Clothing & Footwear	5,364
6	003	Cosmetics & Cleaning Products	2,848
7	005	Pharmaceuticals & Supplements	2,743
8	028	Toys & Sporting Goods	2,568
9	021	Housewares & Glass	2,438
10	016	Paper Goods & Printed Matter	2,238
11	036	Financial & Insurance Services	2,072
12	044	Medical & Veterinary Services	1,760
13	020	Furniture	1,637
14	011	Lighting & Heating Apparatus	1,494
15	030	Staple Foods	1,397

The top four classes collectively accounted for 25,452 filings — nearly 48% of all December applications. This concentration reflects both the natural structure of modern brand strategy (companies routinely file across Classes 9, 35, 41, and 42 in a single application set) and the ongoing convergence of technology, content, and commerce.

Class 041 (Education & Entertainment) reclaimed the top spot in December, edging out Class 009 by 126 filings. Its leading position is consistent with the broader expansion of streaming, content creation, gaming, and online learning — industries where brand protection of show titles, platform names, and character marks drives high filing volumes. Disney's "THE DEVIL IN MY DMS" filing (discussed below) is a representative example of entertainment-driven Class 041 activity.

Class 009 (Electronics & Software) remains the perennial anchor of technology brand activity. Samsung's end-of-year filing blitz anchored this class in December, and the growing presence of AI-branded marks — including Samsung's own "AI VISION" and "AI MOTION" filings — signals that Class 009 will remain a battleground for AI product branding well into 2026.

Class 025 (Clothing & Footwear) at 5,364 filings is somewhat elevated for December, likely reflecting both year-end brand launches and the enduring popularity of apparel as a brand extension vehicle for influencers, entertainers, and consumer brands filing alongside the holiday gifting season.

Class 028 (Toys & Sporting Goods) at 2,568 filings merits specific attention. This class ranked 8th overall in December but, as discussed in Section 5, showed the fourth-highest month-over-month growth rate — a pattern consistent with post-holiday product launches and toy brand expansions ahead of the next retail cycle.

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3. Registration Rates: Mature Cohorts Performing Well, But Mid-2024 Remains a Soft Spot

The registration rate analysis covers cohorts filed between January 2024 and December 2024 — applications now between 12 and 24 months into prosecution. The data reveals a meaningful performance gap between early and mid-2024 cohorts, with practical implications for how practitioners counsel clients on expected timelines and outcomes.

Cohort Month	Total Filed	Registered	Registration Rate
Jan 2024	47,974	24,508	51.1%
Feb 2024	43,753	20,023	45.8%
Mar 2024	48,950	23,187	47.4%
Apr 2024	51,569	22,394	43.4%
May 2024	51,528	22,047	42.8%
Jun 2024	46,699	15,339	32.8%
Jul 2024	50,668	14,348	28.3%
Aug 2024	50,377	12,112	24.0%
Sep 2024	51,260	19,540	38.1%
Oct 2024	52,923	22,928	43.3%
Nov 2024	47,783	19,876	41.6%
Dec 2024	53,448	22,981	43.0%

Several observations stand out:

The January–May 2024 cohorts are the strongest performers, with registration rates ranging from 42.8% to 51.1%. The January 2024 cohort's 51.1% rate is the highest in the dataset and likely reflects a combination of a smaller filing base (43,753–47,974 range) and sufficient elapsed time for most prosecutable applications to clear examination and opposition. Practitioners should treat the 43–51% band as a reasonable benchmark for what "success" looks like at the 18–24 month mark.

The June–August 2024 cohorts show a pronounced dip, with rates of 32.8%, 28.3%, and 24.0% respectively. This trough is the most striking feature of the registration data and warrants careful interpretation. Several factors could be at play:

• These cohorts were filed at high volume (46,699–50,668 applications per month), potentially straining examiner bandwidth.
• Applications filed in mid-2024 may still be working through responses to office actions, making the current registration count a partial picture rather than a final outcome.
• The 24.0% rate for the August 2024 cohort, in particular, almost certainly reflects applications that are still pending rather than permanently lost — the filing_volume table shows that months filed approximately 16–18 months ago still carry material "pending" populations.

Recovery is visible from September 2024 onward, with rates climbing back to the 38–43% range. The December 2024 cohort's 43.0% rate — already achieved at just 12 months into prosecution — suggests that this cohort is performing ahead of pace and may ultimately converge toward the 47–51% range seen in early 2024.

Practical takeaway for practitioners: Clients who filed in mid-2024 and have not yet received a Notice of Allowance or registration should not interpret the cohort-level statistics as cause for alarm. The low rates for June–August 2024 are partially a timing artifact. However, if applications from that period are stalled at final refusal or have received a second office action, now is the time to evaluate appeal or continuation strategy.

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4. Notable Filings: Samsung's Year-End Sprint, Amazon Refreshes AWS, and Disney Goes Digital

December's notable filings dataset captures a fascinating cross-section of strategic brand activity — from a technology conglomerate racing to lock down AI-adjacent marks before year-end, to an entertainment giant betting on social media vernacular, to the internet's biggest retailer re-anchoring one of the world's most recognized acronyms.

Samsung: Seven Filings, One Clear Message

No brand was more active in the final weeks of 2025 than Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and its affiliate Samsung Display Co., Ltd., which together accounted for at least seven notable applications in December alone:

• AI VISION (filed Dec. 30, Serial No. 99571762)
• FOODNOTE (filed Dec. 30, Serial No. 99572665)
• AI MOTION WINGS (filed Dec. 29, Serial No. 99569315)
• AI MOTION WIND (filed Dec. 29, Serial No. 99569343)
• ENSS (filed Dec. 19, Serial No. 99558032)
• METAL SHIELD (filed Dec. 17, Serial No. 99552780)
• SMARTPOWER HDR — Samsung Display (filed Dec. 24, Serial No. 99564586)
• DHBM (filed Dec. 31, Serial No. 99574320)

The pattern is unmistakable: Samsung is aggressively building out an AI-branded product nomenclature. "AI VISION," "AI MOTION WINGS," and "AI MOTION WIND" appear to be product feature marks — the kind of sub-brand terminology that consumer electronics companies attach to specific technologies (camera processing, airflow systems, motion interpolation) to differentiate product tiers. Filing these marks now, ahead of what is likely a major product announcement cycle in early 2026, is textbook brand strategy: secure the mark before the Consumer Electronics Show launch window creates a crowded field of imitators.

"FOODNOTE" is the most intriguing Samsung filing of the month. Its name suggests a food-tracking, nutritional information, or smart appliance feature — consistent with Samsung's long-standing push into the connected home and health technology space. Whether this becomes a Galaxy ecosystem feature, a refrigerator display capability, or a standalone app, the mark signals Samsung's intent to compete in consumer health and food intelligence.

"DHBM" and "ENSS" are opaque initialisms that may refer to internal technology standards, product codenames, or feature platforms not yet publicly announced — the sort of marks that keep trademark practitioners (and tech journalists) guessing until a product reveal.

Amazon: Protecting a Pillar and Hinting at Something New

Amazon Technologies, Inc. filed two applications for AWS on December 29 (Serial Nos. 99569417 and 99569421) and one application for NOVA FORGE on December 19 (Serial No. 99557794).

The dual AWS filings are noteworthy in their own right. Amazon has held trademark registrations for AWS in various classes for years, but new filings typically indicate an expansion of services into classes not previously covered, or a strategic refresh of the registration portfolio as the company enters new lines of business. With AWS aggressively expanding into generative AI infrastructure, quantum computing, and edge computing, coverage in new service categories is a natural protective step.

NOVA FORGE is the more speculative filing. Amazon already markets its generative AI model family under the Nova brand (Amazon Nova was announced in late 2024), and NOVA FORGE suggests a development environment, toolchain, or platform product within that ecosystem — potentially a code generation or AI application-building tool aimed at developers. This is exactly the kind of sub-brand filing that practitioners should monitor: it arrives well ahead of any public product launch and may foreshadow a significant AWS or Alexa ecosystem announcement in Q1 2026.

Google: ALPHAEARTH Points to Geospatial AI

Google LLC filed for ALPHAEARTH on December 21 (Serial No. 99559636). Given Google's DeepMind division's "Alpha" branding family — AlphaGo, AlphaFold, AlphaCode — and Google Maps/Earth's dominance in geospatial technology, ALPHAEARTH almost certainly signals an AI-powered enhancement to Google's mapping or Earth observation products. This could encompass AI-generated terrain modeling, real-time environmental analysis, or a consumer-facing geospatial intelligence product. Watch for a product announcement tied to Google I/O or an internal DeepMind publication in the first half of 2026.

Meta: GLASSWORKS STUDIOS Suggests AR Content Play

Meta Platforms, Inc. filed for GLASSWORKS STUDIOS on December 23 (Serial No. 99563538). The "Glass" reference is almost certainly tied to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses product line, which has seen significant commercial traction and is the company's most successful hardware product in the augmented reality space to date. A "Studios" suffix suggests a content creation, developer tooling, or production environment brand — potentially a platform for creators building AR experiences or video content specifically optimized for the smart glasses format. This filing is a strong indicator that Meta is preparing to invest heavily in a creator ecosystem around its wearable hardware in 2026.

Disney: Embracing Internet Culture

Disney Enterprises, Inc. filed "THE DEVIL IN MY DMS" on December 17 (Serial No. 99552387). This is the month's most culturally revealing filing. "Sliding into DMs" (direct messages) is a firmly established internet idiom, and Disney's embrace of the phrase as a mark — likely for a streaming series, podcast, or entertainment property — signals the company's continued strategy of producing content with titles that are inherently shareable and algorithmically optimized for social media. Whether this becomes a scripted series, a reality show, or a digital-native production, the filing demonstrates Hollywood's growing sophistication in recognizing internet vernacular as commercially valuable intellectual property worth protecting before a title announcement.

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5. Industry Growth Signals: Toys Surge, Medical Devices Climb, Musical Instruments Tick Up

The month-over-month growth analysis reveals which NICE classes are accelerating into year-end — and which of those trends carry the most signal for practitioners advising clients in those sectors.

NICE Class	Description	Nov 2025	Dec 2025	Growth
013	Firearms & Ammunition	107	140	+30.8%
015	Musical Instruments	69	87	+26.1%
010	Medical & Surgical Devices	984	1,161	+18.0%
028	Toys & Games	2,203	2,568	+16.6%
008	Hand Tools & Cutlery	482	560	+16.2%
022	Ropes & Textiles	171	198	+15.8%
027	Floor Coverings	216	250	+15.7%
026	Lace & Embroidery	446	513	+15.0%
021	Housewares & Glass	2,132	2,438	+14.4%
004	Lubricants & Fuels	253	287	+13.4%

Important context: Classes 013 and 015 show the highest percentage growth rates but from small absolute bases (107 and 69 prior-month filings, respectively). A 30.8% increase in Class 013 adds only 33 applications — statistically meaningful but not indicative of a broad industry shift. Practitioners should weight absolute volume alongside growth rate when advising clients.

The Class 028 surge is the most commercially significant finding in this table. Toys and sporting goods grew from 2,203 to 2,568 applications — an addition of 365 filings, the largest absolute increase of any class on the growth list. The timing is revealing: December is the immediate post-holiday window when toy brands review their protection portfolios after observing which products performed at retail, and when new product lines for the next holiday cycle begin entering the pipeline. Companies that identified white-space opportunities or competitive threats during the 2025 holiday season are now moving quickly to file. For practitioners with toy and game brand clients, January and February 2026 should be treated as a prime period for conducting clearance searches and filing new applications before the Q1 rush.

Class 010 (Medical & Surgical Devices) added 177 applications month-over-month, a meaningful absolute gain that reflects ongoing innovation in medical technology and health monitoring. The broader wearable health technology ecosystem — continuous glucose monitors, AI-enabled diagnostic devices, at-home health screening tools — is a consistent driver of Class 010 activity, and the December bump may partly reflect device brands seeking protection ahead of Q1 healthcare conference season (particularly the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in January and the HIMSS annual meeting).

Class 021 (Housewares & Glass) grew by 14.4% to 2,438 applications — a high absolute-volume category that now ranks 9th overall. The December growth likely reflects the same post-holiday dynamic as Class 028: home goods brands refreshing their protection portfolios after the gifting season and preparing for spring product launches.

Classes 022, 026, and 027 (ropes and textiles, lace and embroidery, and floor coverings) grew together in December, all in the 15–16% range. While individually small, the correlated growth across these adjacent textile and home furnishing categories may reflect a coordinated multi-class filing strategy by a particular brand or a cluster of brands in the home décor space — a pattern worth monitoring in January's data.

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Looking Ahead: What to Watch in January 2026

1. AI mark proliferation will intensify. Samsung's December sprint and Amazon's NOVA FORGE filing are previews of what will be a crowded field of AI product sub-brands entering 2026. Practitioners advising technology clients should conduct thorough AI-adjacent clearance searches now, before the Consumer Electronics Show filing wave hits USPTO databases.

2. The mid-2024 registration rate trough will resolve. The June–August 2024 cohorts, currently showing registration rates of 24–33%, should begin generating more registrations as office action responses work through the system. Practitioners holding files from that period should expect increased examiner activity in Q1 2026.

3. Toy and game brands are mobilizing. Class 028's December surge is a leading indicator of a busy Q1 for the toy industry. If your practice serves game publishers, toy manufacturers, or sporting goods brands, anticipate increased demand for clearance and filing services in January and February.

4. Year-over-year comparisons will normalize. January 2025's anomalously high 61,446 filings will make January 2026's year-over-year comparison look weak unless filing volumes accelerate significantly. Practitioners should contextualize any apparent slowdown in early 2026 reporting against this statistical baseline effect.

5. Meta's AR ecosystem is taking shape. The GLASSWORKS STUDIOS filing, combined with ongoing investment in Ray-Ban smart glasses, suggests Meta will make significant brand announcements in the augmented reality and wearable space in the first half of 2026. Brand owners in adjacent content creation, media production, and developer tools spaces should monitor for potential conflicts.

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This report is based on USPTO trademark filing data through December 31, 2025. Application status information reflects data as of the report date. Registration rates for recent cohorts are partial and will change as applications continue through prosecution. This report is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.