Steady Growth in International Trademark System

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) received 23,872 trademark applications in 2003 under a procedure that facilitates the process of seeking trademark protection in multiple countries, known as the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks. This represents a 3% increase over 2002.

Germany topped the list of largest users for the eleventh year running with 4,999 international registrations (22.9%), followed by France (3,281 or 15%), Switzerland (2,204 or 10.1%) and countries of the Benelux—Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands (2,104 or 9.6%).

The International Trademark System, administered by WIPO, gives a trademark owner the possibility of having a mark protected in up to 74 countries by filing one application, in one language, with one set of fees, in one currency (Swiss francs). Thereafter, the international registration can be maintained and renewed through a single procedure.

“In today’s highly competitive marketplace, trademarks are an indispensable business tool which enables companies to effectively market and promote their products and services within both domestic and export markets” said Mr. Ernesto Rubio, WIPO Assistant Director General who oversees the International Trademark System. “WIPO’s International Trademark Registration System is a cost-effective and efficient option for businesses seeking to protect their trademarks in multiple countries,” he added.

The top twenty users of the Madrid System in 2003 were: Henkel (Germany), Novartis (Switzerland), Sanofi (France), Unilever (Netherlands), Janssen Pharmaceutica (Belgium), L’Oréal (France), Nestlé (Switzerland), Bayer (Germany), , Siemens (Germany), ITM (France), Boehringer (Germany), Biofarma (France), Philips Electronics (Netherlands), BASF (Germany), Merck (France), Syngenta (Switzerland), Fiat (Italy), Kodak (France) and Bongrain (France) and Migros (Switzerland).

The United States of America joined the Madrid Protocol on November 2, 2003. Three other countries, namely Cyprus, Iran and the Republic of Korea, also acceded to this treaty in 2003, and one more, Croatia, did so in January 2004, bringing the number of countries party to the Protocol to 62 and total current membership of the Madrid System to 74.