IP Conventions
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.