Madrid International Trademark Registration
Short answer: the Madrid System lets you designate many member countries in one international application based on your home registration or application, which keeps fees and renewals in a single bundle. Protection is not automatic — each designated office still examines under its own law within its own deadline, and for the first five years the international registration remains dependent on the base right.
How we work
File or hold a home application or registration, since the international filing is built on it
Select the member countries you actually sell into or manufacture in
The home office certifies and forwards to WIPO, which issues the international registration
Designated offices refuse or accept under their own law within their refusal period
One renewal, one recordal system for changes of owner or address
What you need to prepare
- Base application or registration number and details
- The mark exactly as in the base right
- Goods and services, narrowed where the base right is narrower
- List of designated member countries
- Applicant entity and ownership details
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose between Madrid and single-country filings?
Madrid is usually cheaper and administratively simpler when you need five or more countries and your mark is close to identical to the base filing. Single-country filings are better when a market is critical, when you need a local certificate quickly for a marketplace, or when the mark differs from the home version.
What exactly is central attack?
For five years the international registration depends on the base right. If the base application is refused or the base registration is cancelled in that period, the international registration can be cancelled for all designated countries at once, although it may be converted into national filings.
Can I use a Madrid registration for Amazon Brand Registry?
Marketplaces generally want a registration issued by, or effective in, the country of the storefront. Designations under Madrid that have been protected by that office can be used; where the designation is still pending or refused, that country's registry access will not open.
Does Madrid cover every country?
No. Only members of the Madrid Protocol can be designated, and several markets sellers care about are outside the system, so those need direct national filings.
Want an assessment first?
Tell us the product and target marketplaces and we will give you a registrability opinion, a realistic timeline and a cost breakdown. Files can be submitted within 48 hours of confirmation.
