International trademarks
Madrid Protocol Filing: One Route, Separate National Decisions
The Madrid System can centralize filing and administration for eligible applicants, but it does not create one automatically enforceable worldwide trademark. Each designated member examines protection under its own law.
Reviewed 11 July 2026
Eligibility and the basic mark
An international application is filed through an Office of origin and must be based on an appropriate national or regional application or registration. The holder must have the required connection with that Madrid member. For the first five years, the international registration remains dependent on the basic mark.
What WIPO does—and does not do
WIPO examines formal requirements, records the international registration, publishes it, and notifies designated offices. Each designated office can issue a provisional refusal, accept protection, or face an opposition under its domestic law. Local representation may be needed to respond.
Management and renewal
An international registration is valid for 10 years and can be renewed centrally for further 10-year periods. Central recording can simplify changes, but use requirements, vulnerability to non-use, enforcement, licences, and coexistence remain jurisdiction-specific.
Preparation checklist
- Entitlement and Office of origin
- Stable and suitable basic mark
- Country-specific clearance
- Goods and services acceptable across markets
- Five-year dependency and refusal budget