Publications
The Madrid Protocol
In November 2, 2003, the United States joined the international trademark treaty known as the Madrid Protocol. The Protocol provides U.S. trademark owners with the ability to seek registration in Madrid Protocol countries, using what has been called a “one-stop” filing mechanism. The system, administered by WIPO, offers the owner of a mark in the United States the ability to obtain registration (called an “International Registration”) for its mark(s) in a vast number of countries by using a centralized filing system. A single application is filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, designating those Member Countries in which the applicant wishes to seek registration. Currently there are 58 countries (also referred to as “member states”) that are party to the Protocol. In addition to providing U.S. owners with the ability to seek international registration for their marks, U.S. adherence to the Protocol allows applicants from foreign countries to seek U.S. registration in the same manner.