Year in Review: the Madrid System in 2017

It’s been a remarkable twelve months for the Madrid System, which is well on its way to another year of growth in international application filings. As our 126th year comes to close, here’s a look back at some of 2017’s most notable achievements.

100 member milestone

In August of this year, the Madrid Registry welcomed Thailand as its 99th member; and just two months later, Indonesia’s Minister for Law and Human Rights deposited his country’s instrument of accession with WIPO’s Director General, making Indonesia the 100th member of the Madrid System.

With the addition of Thailand and Indonesia, eight of the ten-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have now joined the Madrid Union, a testament to ASEAN’s goal of promoting technology transfer throughout the region and stimulating innovation through strengthened IP-rights cooperation.

With Indonesia’s accession, the Madrid Protocol became the fifth WIPO-administered treaty to reach 100 or more contracting parties (along with the WIPO Convention, the Paris Convention, the Berne Convention and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)).

Classification guidelines

To better communicate internal policies on classification—one of the most common culprits of irregularities in international applications —we introduced an all-new resource earlier this year: the Examination Guidelines Concerning the Classification of Goods and Services in International Applications

This guide to classifciation principles applied by our trademark examiners includes:

• general information on the Madrid System and Nice Classification;
• an overview of the classification practices applied by WIPO; and
• practical information and formatting guidelines.

The full version of the resource, which will be regularly updated, is available online in English, French  and Spanish.

Remember! Start with Madrid Goods & Services Manager when compiling a list of goods and services for your international application. This free e-service will help you build your list of goods and services according to the Nice Classification, and check whether your terms are acceptable to WIPO and trademark offices in your target markets. As of January 1, Madrid Goods & Service Manager will also include the 2018 version of the Nice Classification .

Streamlined customer support

As part of continuing efforts to enhance customer services and improve user experience, we introduced a number of new offerings this year, starting with an Automatic Call Distribution system in late February.

Soon after, we launched Contact Madrid, an online communication service designed to address the needs of our diverse user base.  

This new service is your gateway to Madrid System customer support – send questions, comments and forms, request technical assistance, follow-up on payments, and more.

Earlier this month, the Contact Madrid service officially replaced email communications as the most effective way to connect with our customer service team.

A new era in Madrid e-services

2017 saw the launch of a bundle of new and improved e-services and web content, including the highly-anticipated Madrid Member Profiles database, giving you straightforward access to the trademark laws and examination procedures of Madrid System members.

Throughout the year, we also gathered your feedback and used it to enhance Madrid Monitor, WIPO’s next generation trademark monitoring database.

To support you through the transition, we created a series of video tutorials that will help get you started. Check-out the eight-part series for step-by-step instructions and expert tips on how to make the most of Madrid Monitor’s best features.

Watch and learn: Madrid system webinars

Over the past six months, nearly 2,000 new and experienced Madrid System users participated in our all-new interactive webinars.

These targeted training sessions introduced a fresh way to access tips and practical guidance from WIPO experts on topics ranging from preparing an international application, to making the most of Madrid e-services and dealing with trademark offices in your target markets.

Looking ahead to 2018

With a number of major trading countries preparing for accession in 2018, the Madrid System will remain the best pathway to global trademark registration.

In the coming year, members and users can also look forward to:

• continuing improvements to our e-services and web content, including enhancements that will make it even easier to track and determine the status of your international trademark application and registration; and
• more video tutorials and brand-new Madrid System webinars to help you use the Madrid System more effectively and efficiently.

Keep an eye on Madrid System news for all the latest and subscribe now to stay informed!