International Trademark System Saw Record Year In 2004

by Ulrika Lomas, for LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels

16 February 2005

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) announced last week that use of the 'Madrid' international trademark registration system reached a record level in 2004, with the receipt of some 29,459 international trademark applications. This represented a 23.5% increase on 2003's figures.

The international trademark system administered by WIPO allows a trademark owner the possibility of having a mark protected in up to 76 countries by filing one application, in one language, with one set of fees, in one currency (Swiss francs).

According to WIPO, for the twelfth consecutive year Germany topped the list of biggest users with 5,393 international applications (18.3%), followed by France with 3,503 (11.9%), Italy 2,499 (8.5%), Benelux 2,482 (8.4%) and Switzerland 2,133 (7.2%).

Within 12 months of signing up to the Madrid Protocol - one of two treaties that govern the system - the United States of America filed 1,734 (5.9%) international applications to rank sixth among the biggest users of the Madrid System system.

"We are already beginning to see significant increases in the use of the system now that the USA and the European Community are party to the Madrid Protocol. This is a trend which promises to continue as the advantages of the system become more broadly recognized and as new countries come on board," observed Ernesto Rubio, the WIPO Assistant Director General in charge of trademark questions.

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