the Protocol relating to that Agreement, concluded in 1989, which aims to make
the Madrid system more flexible and more compatible with the domestic legislation
of certain countries or intergovernmental organizations that had not been able to
accede to the Agreement.
States and organizations party to the Madrid system are collectively referred to as
Contracting Parties.
The system makes it possible to protect a mark in a large number of countries by
obtaining an international registration that has effect in each of the designated
Contracting Parties.
application may be based simply on an application for registration filed with the office of
origin. An international application must be presented to the International Bureau of
WIPO through the intermediary of the office of origin.
International Registration
Once the International Bureau receives an international application, it carries out an
examination for compliance with the requirements of the Agreement, the Protocol and
their Common Regulations. This examination is restricted to formalities, including the
classification and comprehensibility of the list of goods and/or services. If there are no
irregularities in the application, the International Bureau records the mark in the
International Register, publishes the international registration in the WIPO Gazette
of International Marks (hereinafter referred to as "the Gazette"), and notifies it to
each designated Contracting Party. Any matter of substance, such as whether the mark
qualifies for protection or whether it is in conflict with a mark registered previously in a
particular Contracting Party, is determined by that Contracting Party's trademark office
under the applicable domestic legislation. The Gazette is available in electronic form (eGazette) on the Madrid system website.
intergovernmental organization that maintains its own office for the registration of
marks may become party to the Protocol. Instruments of ratification or accession must
be deposited with the Director General of WIPO.