Madrid System

What Is The Madrid System?

The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks provides a means to seek simultaneous protection for a trademark in more than 120 countries. The Madrid System is composed of two related treaties, the Madrid Agreement and the Madrid Protocol, which govern international trademark registration. The System is simple, saves time, and is cost-effective.

Our Position

We strongly support and encourage governments of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) member countries to take all action necessary to adhere to the Madrid Protocol. We encourage countries to optimize their trademark office operations under harmonized registration procedures to reduce costs and other burdens for local and international trademark owners.

Through our advocacy strategy introduced in 2006, we, in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, WIPO, and other intellectual property (IP) associations, have played a leading role in promoting the Madrid Protocol around the world. Our policy seminars have championed the advantages of joining the Madrid System but also have helped identify some of the challenges that local authorities and IP stakeholders must address.