Madrid Protocol
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Trademark Registration Services
What the Madrid Protocol is
The Madrid Protocol is the international treaty that simplifies trademark registration worldwide. Signed in 1891 and expanded since, it lets brand owners file a single application covering multiple countries. Today about 130 member countries and regions use the Madrid System, and its core purpose is international trademark protection: one application covering many jurisdictions instead of country-by-country filings. Applications run through WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization).
The Madrid Protocol trademark registration process
The Madrid Protocol lets brand owners register a trademark in multiple countries through a single application. The first step is to prepare the application file. That file is submitted through TÜRKPATENT (the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office), and it covers the mark, the goods and services, and the relevant class designations. Madrid Protocol applications must go through TÜRKPATENT; direct filings to WIPO are rejected. TÜRKPATENT reviews the application and can request additional documents. On approval, the mark is protected in the designated countries. The Madrid Protocol contributes substantially to effective international trademark protection and registration.
Documents required for a Madrid Protocol application
- Turkish trademark registration certificate
- Bank receipt showing payment of the application fee to WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization)
- Certificate of activity
- Power of attorney
- Sample of the mark (identical to the sample on the Turkish trademark certificate or application)
International trademark registration process
Application
Applications are filed with TÜRKPATENT through Sistem Patent as your attorney firm. Before filing, we identify the target countries and registration classes and build the application file.
Examination
TÜRKPATENT and WIPO both run a formal examination. If the application fails, it is returned. TÜRKPATENT reviews first, and if it clears, the application goes to WIPO.
Publication
Approved marks are published by both TÜRKPATENT and WIPO. During publication a third party can oppose the registration. A thorough prior search before filing keeps opposition risk low.
Registration
If no opposition is filed during the publication window, the mark registers. Any oppositions are reviewed and decided. TÜRKPATENT issues the registration certificate, and the designated countries issue their own as well.
Advantages of the Madrid Protocol
The Madrid Protocol offers real advantages to businesses filing international trademark registrations.
- One application covers trademark registration in multiple countries. That improves cost efficiency compared with filing separately in each jurisdiction, since one process removes the expense and time of country-by-country filings.
- Time savings. The Madrid System standardizes the filing process, removing the need for separate documentation in each country and cutting the time to registration.
- International recognition for the mark. The mark’s global reach widens and reaches a larger customer base.
Madrid Protocol member countries
Countries covered under the Madrid Protocol include:
- ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
- ALBANIA
- ARMENIA
- AUSTRIA
- AUSTRALIA
- AZERBAIJAN
- BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
- BULGARIA
- BAHRAIN
- BONAIRE SAINT
- EUSTATIUS AND SABA
- BHUTAN
- BENELUX
- (BELGIUM, LUXEMBOURG,
- NETHERLANDS)
- BOTSWANA
- BELARUS
- SWITZERLAND
- CHINA
- COLOMBIA
- CUBA
- CURACAO
- CYPRUS
- CZECH REPUBLIC
- GERMANY
- DENMARK
- ESTONIA
- EGYPT
- EUROPEAN UNION
- SPAIN
- FINLAND
- FRANCE
- UNITED KINGDOM
- GEORGIA
- GHANA
- GREECE
- CROATIA
- HUNGARY
- IRELAND
- ISRAEL
- IRAN
- ICELAND
- ITALY
- JAPAN
- KENYA
- KYRGYZSTAN
- MEXICO
- NORTH KOREA
- SOUTH KOREA
- KAZAKHSTAN
- LIECHTENSTEIN
- LIBERIA / LESOTHO
- LITHUANIA
- LATVIA
- MOROCCO / MONACO
- MOLDOVA
- MONTENEGRO
- MADAGASCAR
- NORTH MACEDONIA
- MONGOLIA
- MOZAMBIQUE
- NAMIBIA
- NORWAY
- NEW ZEALAND
- OMAN
- PHILIPPINES
- POLAND
- PORTUGAL
- ROMANIA
- SERBIA
- RUSSIAN FEDERATION
- SUDAN
- SWEDEN
- SINGAPORE
- SLOVENIA
- SLOVAKIA
- SIERRA LEONE
- SAN MARINO
- SAO TOME AND
- PRINCIPE
- SAINT MARTIN
- SYRIA
- ESWATINI
- TAJIKISTAN
- TURKMENISTAN
- UKRAINE
- UNITED STATES
- UZBEKISTAN
- VIETNAM
- ZAMBIA
Sistem Patent files and manages international trademark registrations under the Madrid Protocol. For detailed information and advice, get in touch.
Why Sistem Patent?
Registered Trademark Attorneys
Your application is prepared by trademark attorneys registered with the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, and you are legally represented throughout the process.
End-to-End Process Management
Every stage, from clearance search to registration, renewals and opposition management, is handled through a single point of contact.
Global Associate Network
Thanks to our foreign offices and contracted local attorneys, each filing is handled in line with the legislation of the country concerned.
Frequently Asked Questions
In how many countries can I claim protection under the Madrid Protocol?
You can designate as many of the more than 130 member countries as you wish in your application. If needed later, you can also add new countries to your existing international registration.
Through which authority is the application filed?
Madrid applications from Turkey are submitted to WIPO through the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office as the office of origin. Sistem Patent conducts this process on your behalf as your attorney.
Is my international registration tied to my Turkish trademark?
Yes. For the first five years the international registration depends on the basic application or registration in Turkey. If the basic registration is cancelled in part or in full within this period, the international registration is affected to the same extent. After five years it becomes independent.
How long is a Madrid registration valid?
An international registration is valid for ten years and can be renewed for all designated countries with a single transaction every ten years.
What happens if a designated country refuses my application?
A refusal affects only that country; protection in the other countries continues. The refusal can be contested in the country concerned, and our attorneys manage this process together with our local associates.
Start Your Madrid Application
Fill in the form and our attorneys will prepare a tailored quote for your Madrid filing based on your mark and your target countries.
