The rate of growth of trademarks that use words such as "cyber," "link," "tech," and "web" declined 14% last year to 10,835, says Master-McNeil Inc., a coporate product and naming firm in Berkeley, California. From 1993 to 1996, the use of such "wired" terms had grown by more than 30% a year, it adds. Two notable exceptions in 1997's slowdown were "tech" and "power," which continued to gain use.
Overall trademark filings last year rose 6% to 192,409, but the gain was only half the annual 13% increases in the previous two years. That "may indicate a reduction in individual product branding," says S.B. Master, the firm's president.
