As of 4 March 2019, Samoa become a member of the Madrid
Protocol. Canada's membership quickly followed suit and its
accession to the Madrid Protocol will come into effect on 17 June
2019. These welcome additions to the Madrid System expand its list
of members to 104, and a total coverage of 120 countries. The World
Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), who administer
International Registrations, notes that these members represent
more than 80% of world trade and that the system keeps expanding as
new members join.
The advantages of using the Madid System to file International
Registrations are worthy of note, especially when compared with the
often burdensome and expensive route of filing overseas
applications in multiple countries. International Registrations
significantly reduce the administrative and financial burden by
allowing applicants to file a single application designating chosen
countries with a single set of documents in a single language with
a