Source: www.wipo.int
The Madrid Protocol along with
the Madrid Agreement, gives the legal basis to the Madrid System which is the
primary method of international registration of trademarks in multiple
Jurisdictions. Administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (hereinafter
referred to as “WIPO”), the Madrid Protocol allows the trademark owners of its
contracting parties to seek protection of their trademarks in multiple
countries by filing a single application. It is a cost effective method as it
saves time and money by filing one application, rather than a bundle of
national applications. Moreover, the Madrid Protocol also allows such
applications to be filed in a single language and grants protection to the
trademarks in multiple countries upon the payment of a single fee.
On March 26, 2018, Afghanistan deposited its instrument of accession
to the Madrid Protocol at the International Bureau of the World Intellectual
Property Organization making it the 101st member. The Protocol will come
into force in Afghanistan on June 26,
2018. The two-letter code for Afghanistan is “AF”.
With Afghanistan’s adoption of
the Madrid Protocol, the local business owners are the ones who are bound to
benefit the most. From June 26, 2018 i.e.
the date from which the Protocol will enter into force for Afghanistan, the
local business owners in Afghanistan could seek protection of their trademark
in territories of the other 100 member countries through a single application
filed with the Afghanistan Central Business Registry and Intellectual Property
Ministry of Commerce and Industry and payment of a single set of official fees.
This will help them in significantly reducing the costs and efforts during
their expansion in other countries. In addition, the foreign applicants could
also obtain trademark protection for their marks by designating Afghanistan in
their Madrid Application along with other member countries.
For more information please write to us at : info@ssrana.com
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