Once you believe you have substantially established your business in the United States, your next goal may be to expand your brand recognition internationally. While you may know this is no easy feat, it may make it easier knowing that at least the international trademark registration process is relatively straightforward. This is thanks to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) enforcing the Madrid Protocol. Without further ado, please continue reading to learn how the Madrid Protocol applies and how an experienced New Jersey trademark lawyer at The Ingber Law Firm can help with your global registration.
How does the Madrid Protocol apply to international trademark registration?
Put in its simplest terms, the Madrid Protocol is an international treaty that allows trademark owners to file one application to register their mark in multiple countries. Notably, this protocol is used by 115 members, meaning 131 countries, and represents over 80 percent of global trade. So, another way to put it, a trademark owner may petition for their rights over, and subsequently manage their protections over, a mark in a majority of regional intellectual property offices worldwide.
With that being said, you may be reading this blog because you are a United States business owner looking to take your trademark across the country’s borders. Or, you have a trademark registered in an outside country, but are looking to gain registration rights here in the world’s second-largest trading nation and market. Either way, our proficient team at the Ingber Law Firm can assist you with your international trademark application.
How much will an international trademark registration cost me?
To reiterate, the Madrid Protocol offers convenience in allowing you to file a single trademark application for multiple countries simultaneously. This application is also straightforward in that it uses one language, English, and accepts one form of currency, the Swiss franc (CHF).
The basic fee for your initial application may be 653 Swiss francs or 903 Swiss francs if your mark is in color, which converts to approximately $811 or $1,122 United States dollars (USD), respectively. You may be offered a 90 percent discount if you file your application for registration in the U.S. from an intellectual property office in one of the least-developed countries, as categorized by the United Nations (i.e., Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, etc). This means the initial fee may only cost the equivalent of $80 or $112, respectively.
Of course, there may be additional fees if you wish your mark to be covered by multiple classes of goods and services, if you want to expand, modify, or renew coverage, and more. For more guidance on this, you may navigate the WIPO website and utilize its Madrid System Fee Calculator function.
If this blog has deeply resonated with your personal situation and concerns thus far, please reach out to a skilled Essex County, New Jersey intellectual property lawyer for more information. The team at The Ingber Law Firm will be glad to represent you in your upcoming legal case.