Mumbai: Most applications seeking international trademark protection were targeted at China and Russia last year, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), a United Nations agency, said.

Trademark protection was requested most often for China, which was also the most-designated country under WIPO's so-called Madrid System in 2005, followed by Russia, Switzerland, the United States and Japan.

The agency said businesses filed a record 36,471 applications in 2006 to safeguard their trademarked goods in key export markets, up 9 per cent from the year before.

Consumer goods majors Nestle, Unilever and Henkel, electronics groups Siemens and Philips, as well as pharmaceutical firms Novartis and Janssen, a unit of Johnson & Johnson were the leading groups to file patent protection petitions, the agency said..

German discount supermarket chain Lidl emerged the largest single applicant for international trademark protection while its competitor Aldi was among the top 10.

Chinese companies like China Network Communications and Shanghai Tyre and Rubber were the top international trademark filers from developing countries last year, the agency said.

Moroccan phone operator Maroc Telecom and Singapore's Asia Pacific Breweries, which makes Tiger Beer were the other emerging economy companies to file trademark petitions with the world body.

Companies can file one application to have a trademark protected in up to 79 countries, under WIPO's Madrid System.