Curcumin patents and trademarks

The number of patent applications that show the use of curcumin filed between 2012 and 2014 increased dramatically from just over 1,000 applications in 2012 to nearly 2,600 applications in 2014. After 2014, the number of applications decreased slightly to around 2,400 in 2015 and 2,000 in 2016. Although the number of patent applications related to the use of curcumin decreased after 2014, many patent applications continue to be filed. Companies and innovators around the world are attempting to patent products that utilize curcumin, and it is likely that the number of patent applications will remain in the thousands in the coming years.

The interest in developing natural products containing curcumin does not appear to be slowing down. The trends and data show the continuing and, in some cases, growing interest in utilizing curcumin in a variety of industries and products. It is likely that companies and innovators will continue to utilize curcumin in new products given the growing market for natural products and the desirable properties of curcumin.

Filing trademarks with “curcumin” in the goods associated with a supplement product over the last 10 years is increasing, with the peak likely yet to come. The trend might show that the curcumin nutritional supplement market is growing and that wise brand owners are looking to secure their rights.

Most trademarks that list “curcumin” in the goods associated with the mark are in the nutritional supplement field. This might indicate a greater emphasis on the field as compared to cosmetics or foods. It might also indicate brand owners do not necessarily specify their product contains curcumin when applying for trademark registration. A strategy of not specifying the content of a product, while not possible for patenting, might make good trademarking strategy to obtain a mark with arguably broader coverage.

This is an excerpt from the article, “Intellectual property trends in curcumin products in 2018.” Download INSIDER’s Curcumin Digital magazine to read the complete article.

Gideon Eckhouse is a senior associate at KramerAmado, with more than 10 years of experience in patents and trademarks.

Chris Jones is a patent agent and technical specialist at KramerAmado. He has a master’s degree in chemistry and a background in both chemical and biochemical technologies. Jones is currently pursuing his juris doctorate degree at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School and will graduate in December 2018.