Madrid Trademark Applications in 2016

20 04 2017

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has released the 2016 figures for trademark applications filed through the Madrid Protocol.

The Madrid Protocol is a trademark filing system which aims to centralise the trademark application process across its member countries. It allows applicants to file for the same trademark across multiple countries in a single application, a single language (English, French or Spanish), and with a single set of fees (in Swiss Francs). Currently, the Madrid Union has 98 members, which covers 114 countries; including Australia.

 

According to WIPO’s latest statistics, there were 52,550 Madrid applications filed in 2016, a 7.2% growth from the previous year. The top ten countries by number of Madrid applications filed in 2016 were: U.S., Germany, France, China, Switzerland, Italy, U.K., Japan, Australia and the Netherlands. China saw the greatest filing growth of 68.6%, followed by Italy (14.4%) and the Netherlands (14.1%). The top filers included France’s L’Oréal with 150 applications; Glaxo Group of the U.K. with 141; and Germany’s BMW with 117.

 

For those looking for to file for an international trademark, the Madrid Protocol system is a convenient and cost effective option. Once an trademark application is filed in any member country, the applicant may within 6 months of that application seek registration in any member country with retrospective protection from the original trademark filing date.

 

Where a country is not a member of the Madrid Union, a direct national trademark application may need to be made in order to secure trademark protection in that jurisdiction.

 

For information on our International Trademark Filing services.

Need an expert law firm
you can trust to help with registering a trademark?

Contact us today for a free 30 minute consultation for your expert legal advice today

Get your Free Consultation

Some of the clients we have worked with