GENEVA, March 15: China and Russia received the largest number of international trademark applications in 2006, as foreign companies boosted their presence there, the World Intellectual Property Organisation said on Thursday.

China received 15,801 applications for registered trademarks in 2006, up 16.4 per cent from the previous year, "reflecting increasing levels of trading activity by foreign companies," WIPO said in a statement.

Russia was close behind with 14,432 applications, up 12.7 per cent.

A record 36,471 applications were filed in 2006 under WIPO's Madrid registration system which allows a single international application for trademark protection.

German-based companies made the highest number of applications with 6,552 filings, or 18 per cent of the total.

France was in second place with 3,986, followed by the US at 3,148.

Information technology, clothing and pharmaceuticals were the most cited sectors for trademark applications.

German distribution company Lidl made the most filings worldwide, followed by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis. A trademark is a name given by a company to a specific product it sells.—AFP