Madrid Protocol
The international procedural mechanism of the Madrid System allows trademark owners to gain protection for their mark in the states party to the Madrid Union, by the filing of a single application at a national or regional trademark office.
After making a home application, an international application can be made (in English or French) to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) seeking registration in designated member states. The mark will then be registered for a period of 10 years in each designated state, unless a state objects under its national law within 18 months, as if the application had been made directly to the trademark office of the individual states.
Registrations obtained from the Madrid System remain dependent on the home registration for a period of 5 years. In that time the registration is vulnerable to 'central attack', in that if the home registration is invalidated within the 5 years, all consequential registrations obtained through the Madrid System are invalidated as well.
As filing, renewal and recording of transactions can all be effected in a single application by the Madrid System, there is a large potential for reducing costs.
Important note:
The comments in this section represent only a simplified summary of Intellectual Property and are not intended to be comprehensive. Professional advice should be sought in any particular instance as to the protection available. More information may be found in the Professional Advice section.
States Party to the Madrid Protocol (Date on which State became party)
- Albania (July 30, 2003)
- Antigua and Barbuda (March 17, 2000)
- Armenia (October 19, 2000)
- Australia (July 11, 2001)
- Austria (April 13, 1999)
- Azerbaijan (April 15, 2007)
- Bahrain (December 15, 2005)
- Belarus (January 18, 2002)
- Belgium (April 1, 1998)
- Bhutan (August 4, 2000)
- Botswana (December 5, 2006)
- Bulgaria (October 2, 2001)
- China (December 1, 1995)
- Croatia (January 23, 2004)
- Cuba (December 26, 1995)
- Cyprus (November 4, 2003)
- Czech Republic (September 25, 1996)
- North Korea (October 3, 1996)
- Denmark (February 13, 1996)
- Egypt
- Estonia (November 18, 1998)
- European Community (October 1, 2004)
- Finland (April 1, 1996)
- France (November 7, 1997)
- Georgia (August 20, 1998)
- Germany (March 20, 1996)
- Greece (August 10, 2000)
- Hungary (October 3, 1997)
- Iceland (April 15, 1997)
- Iran (Islamic Republic of) (December 25, 2003)
- Ireland (October 19, 2001)
- Italy (April 17, 2000)
- Japan (March 14, 2000)
- Kenya (June 26, 1998)
- Kyrgyzstan (June 17, 2004)
- Latvia (January 5, 2000)
- Lesotho (February 12, 1999)
- Liechtenstein (March 17, 1998)
- Lithuania (November 15, 1997)
- Luxembourg (April 1, 1998)
- Moldova (December 1, 1997)
- Monaco (September 27, 1996)
- Mongolia (June 16, 2001)
- Montenegro (June 3, 2006)
- Morocco (October 8, 1999)
- Mozambique (October 7, 1998)
- Namibia (June 30, 2004)
- Netherlands (April 1, 1998)
- Norway (March 29, 1996)
- Poland (March 4, 1997)
- Portugal (March 20, 1997)
- Republic of Korea (April 10, 2003)
- Romania (July 28, 1998)
- Russian Federation (June 10, 1997)
- Senegal
- Serbia (February 17, 1998)
- Sierra Leone (December 28, 1999)
- Singapore (October 31, 2000)
- Slovakia (September 13, 1997)
- Slovenia (March 12, 1998)
- Spain (December 1, 1995)
- Swaziland (December 14, 1998)
- Sweden (December 1, 1995)
- Switzerland (May 1, 1997)
- Syrian Arab Republic (August 5, 2004)
- Yugoslavia (August 30, 2002)
- Turkey (January 1, 1999)
- Turkmenistan (September 28, 1999)
- Ukraine (December 29, 2000)
- United Kingdom (December 1, 1995)
- United States of America (November 2, 2003)
- Uzbekistan (December 27, 2006)
- Viet Nam (July 11, 2006)
- Zambia (November 15, 2001)
Total (72 States) - Last Updated 13/06/07
