Qatar Joins The Madrid Protocol International Trade Mark System

The Madrid Protocol system for securing international registration of a trade mark is to be extended to cover Qatar from 3 August 2024. This will bring the total number of countries in which it is possible to secure trade mark protection via a single trade mark application to 131.

The Madrid Protocol system has long been considered a cost-effective and flexible means of obtaining trade mark protection around the world, particularly given that such protection is covered by a single application and registration. This makes it much easier to manage than protection secured through multiple separate national registrations, since only one single registration is required for renewal, assignment, licensing, etc. In many cases, it is also possible to add or remove countries from the International registration, in order to address the changing commercial requirements of the trade mark owner.