The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks offers trademark owners a cost effective, user friendly and streamlined means of protecting and managing their trademark portfolio internationally.
India joins Madrid Protocol
On 8 April 2013, India joined the Madrid Protocol which will enable domestic companies and entrepreneurs to obtain
cost effective global trademark registration. The treaty will enter into force with respect to India on 8 July 2013, according to the statement by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
WIPO Director General Francis Gurry welcomed India’s accession to the Madrid Protocol. India is the 14th of the G-20 economies to accede to the Madrid Protocol.
Under the WIPO-administered Madrid system, a trademark owner may protect a mark in up to 88 countries plus the European Union by filing one application, in one language (English, French or Spanish), with one set of fees, in one currency (Swiss Francs).
Trademarks are a key component of any successful business marketing strategy as they allow companies to identify, promote and license their goods or services in the marketplace and to distinguish them from those of their competitors, and cement customer loyalty.
A trademark symbolises the promise of a quality product and in today’s global and increasingly electronic marketplace, a trademark is often the only way for customers to identify a company’s products and services.
The international trademark system is governed by two treaties, namely, the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (1891) and the Madrid Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (1989).