Effective September 1, 2010, Israel officially accedes to the Madrid Protocol.

The Madrid Protocol is an international treaty that aims to facilitate the securing and maintenance of trademark protection on an international basis. The Protocol is administered by the International Bureau of WIPO – the World Intellectual Property Organization. The Madrid Protocol is intended to be a simple mechanism to obtain and maintain registration of trademarks and service marks in multiple jurisdictions through a single trademark office.  So if utilized effectively, for example, it eliminates the need to file separate national trademark applications in each respective jurisdiction. For an updated list of members of the Madrid Protocol trademark treaty, visit www.wipo.org.

Generally speaking, the Madrid Protocol is a useful and cost-effective tool to utilize when seeking trademark registration in approximately five or more Member Countries.  Among the 76+ Members are the U.S., the European Union, Australia, Japan, and China.

A sample of some countries and regions that are not a part of the Madrid Protocol include: Canada, Egypt, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, the Arab Region (Lebanon, Iraq, etc.), and the Latin American region (Brazil, Argentina, Chile, etc.).  Therefore, in order to obtain trademark protection in those countries, separate trademark applications would have to be filed in each country through the respective national trademark offices.

If you have any questions relating to the Madrid Protocol or trademark law in general, please call Darren Geliebter or Mathew Lombard at 212-551-1755.