Thailand and Indonesia have now joined the international trademark system by signing the Madrid Protocol. The cost-effective system can be used to apply for trademark protection in Thailand as of 7 November 2017 and in Indonesia as of 2 January 2018.
The Madrid Protocol refers to a treaty administered by the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and now ratified by 100 countries. The system enables trademark proprietors to register their trademarks in several countries by filing a single application, resulting in clear cost savings when compared to filing separate national applications.
Application for an international trademark requires an existing national application or registration on which the international application will be based. Since Finland and EU are covered by the system, a Finnish or EU trademark can be used as basis for an international registration.
With a history spanning 125 years, the Madrid System is constantly expanding geographically. Potential newcomers include e.g. Canada and Malaysia. It remains to be seen whether it takes another 125 years for the system to cover the entire globe.
Contact us:
If you are contemplating international protection for your trademark or your company’s trademark portfolio needs expanding, do not hesitate to contact our experts for more information!
Kitty Zarbock, European Trademark and Design Attorney
kitty.zarbock@heinonen.com
Sanna Mentula, Trademark Administrator
sanna.mentula@heinonen.com