International Trademark Registration

About International Trademark Registration

Protect your mark in today's global economy by registering your mark abroad. This is an essential step to conducting business outside the United States. In addition to applying for protection in the United States, you should consider seeking trademark protection in other countries. By filing an international application or applications in selected countries, you can safeguard your rights overseas, whether you are currently doing business abroad or are planning to in the future.

Your United States trademark registration will only protect you against others appropriating your mark within the borders of the United States. Your United States trademark registration will not enable you to prevent others from using your mark outside the United States.

The International Application

An International (or Madrid) Application is based on the Madrid Protocol, an international treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate in November 2002. On November 2, 2003, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office began accepting filings from U.S. applicants. The Madrid Application allows you to protect your trademark in over 80 countries party to the Madrid Protocol.

The Madrid Protocol is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO. After registration of your trademark, WIPO will publish your mark in the International Trademark Gazette, and in conjunction with your legal representation, help resolve potential challenges. Once filed, a Madrid Application may preserve the protection for the mark in question for up to 10 years. After this initial protection expires, renewals may be obtained for 10-year periods thereafter.

Trademark Protection in Non-Madrid Countries

Although more than 80 nations have adopted the Madrid Protocol, there are some significant exceptions: Canada and Mexico, for example, have yet to ratify the Protocol.

It is both possible and affordable to protect your trademark in countries that do not accept Madrid Applications. Our attorneys have been facilitating country-by-country trademark registration for many years and would be happy to discuss the process with you.

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To receive free information on trademarks or if you have any questions, contact us via our secure Contact Form. If you would like us to conduct a Trademark Search for you, please submit your request via our secure Trademark Search Request Form.