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International Trademark Registration

Last updated : October 21st, 2021 02:17 pm

International Trademark Registration

India’s mobile phone manufacturer, Micromax recently received the 1.25 millionth international trademark registration for its trademark – ‘MICROMAX’, giving it protection in over 110 countries. The international trademark registration for Micromax was filed under the Madrid Protocol, under which a mark can be protected in many jurisdictions by filing an application for international registration. In this article, we look at the Madrid Protocol in depth and also the process for international trademark registration.

Madrid Protocol

The Madrid Protocol which came into operation in 1996 and the Madrid Agreement which dates from 1891 govern the system of international trademark registration. Under the Madrid Protocol, a mark can be registered in multiple countries by filing an application for international trademark registration through the trademark office of the applicant (“office of origin”).

International Trademark Registration Process

International trademark registration application under the Madrid Protocol must be filed by the trademark applicant through the trademark office of the applicant, know as the office of origin. In case of Indian Businesses, the Office of Registrar of Trademark, India is the office of origin. The office of origin will process the trademark application and file it with the Intellectual Property Organization at Geneva.

If the trademark application is found fit, then the mark is recorded in the International Register and published in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Gazette of International Marks. The International Bureau then provides a certificate of international registration and notifies each of the country contracting to the Madrid Protocol for which protection has been requested by the trademark applicant. Each of the countries trademark office has the right to refuse protection of the mark by notifying to the International Bureau within the time limits specified in the Madrid Protocol. The Madrid Protocol has set strict time limits  of 12 or 18 months for objections to be raised by the designated offices.

Any objection to registration of the trademark must be made to the International Bureau in the prescribed format. If there are no refusals by any of the country, then the protection of the mark in each of the country is the same as if it had been registered by the Office of that country.

Once an international trademark is registered under the Madrid Protocol, the mark is registered for 10 years. International trademark registrations can be renewed at the end of the 10 year period directly through WIPO or through the concerned office of origin.

Requirements for Obtaining International Trademark Registration

There are three main requirements for obtaining an international trademark registration in India:

• The applicant should be a national of India or domiciled in India or have real and effective business or commercial establishment in India.
• The applicant must have a national (Indian) trademark application or registration of a trademark with the Indian Trade Marks Registry. This national trademark application/registration will be used as the basis of the international application. The international application will have the same trademark as mentioned in the national trademark application or registration; The list of goods and services mentioned in the international application should also be identical with the national mark.
• The applicant in the international application must choose one or more other member countries of the Madrid Protocol, where the applicant wants to protect his trademark.

Countries That Protect International Trademark Registrations

The following countries are parties to the Madrid Protocol. Hence, an International Trademark can be afforded protection in the following countries:

1. African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI)
2. Albania
3. Algeria
4. Antigua and Barbuda
5. Armenia
6. Australia
7. Austria
8. Azerbaijan
9. Bahrain
10. Belarus
11. Belgium
12. Bhutan
13. Bosnia and Herzegovina
14. Botswana
15. Bulgaria
16. Cambodia
17. China
18. Colombia
19. Croatia
20. Cuba
21. Cyprus
22. Czech Republic
23. Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
24. Denmark
25. Egypt
26. Estonia
27. European Union
28. Finland
29. France
30. Georgia
31. Germany
32. Ghana
33. Greece
34. Hungary
35. Iceland
36. India
37. Iran
38. Ireland
39. Israel
40. Italy
41. Japan
42. Kazakhstan
43. Kenya
44. Kyrgyzstan
45. Latvia
46. Lesotho
47. Liberia
48. Liechtenstein
49. Lithuania
50. Luxembourg
51. Mexico
52. Monaco
53. Mongolia
54. Montenegro
55. Morocco
56. Mozambique
57. Namibia
58. Netherlands
59. New Zealand
60. Norway
61. Oman
62. Philippines
63. Poland
64. Portugal
65. Republic of Korea
66. Republic of Moldova
67. Romania
68. Russian Federation
69. Rwanda
70. San Marino
71. Sao Tome and Principe
72. Serbia
73. Sierra Leone
74. Singapore
75. Slovakia
76. Slovenia
77. Spain
78. Sudan
79. Swaziland
80. Sweden
81. Switzerland
82. Syrian Arab Republic
83. Tajikistan
84. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
85. Tunisia
86. Turkey
87. Turkmenistan
88. Ukraine
89. United Kingdom
90. United States of America
91. Uzbekistan
92. VietNam
93. Zambia
94. Zimbabwe

We can help: IndiaFilings can help your business obtain international trademark registration. Talk to an IndiaFilings Business Advisor today.