Madrid e-Filing Now Available to Japanese Brand Owners

June 1, 2022

Good news! From June 1, 2022, Japanese trademark holders looking to protect their marks internationally through WIPO’s Madrid System, can apply online using the Madrid e-Filing service directly via the website of the Japan Patent Office (JPO).

Flag of Japan
(Photo: Getty/Derek Brumby)

Adoption of Madrid e-Filing by the JPO brings the number of offices using the service to seventeen. Of the seventeen, the JPO has the highest volume of international applications (ranking #7 in 2021 among the top origin of international applications).

The Madrid e-Filing service enables Japanese users to electronically file international applications, by-passing a cost-and time-consuming development of our Office’s own IT system. In response to the growing need of transitioning from paper to digital communications driven by the pandemic, the Madrid e-Filing service provides a simple and quick solution to global businesses and IP Offices as well.

Junichi SUZUKI, Director of Office for International Design and Trademark Applications, Japan Patent Office, Japan

A completely digital process

Filing through Madrid e-Filing is a completely digital process, from submitting the application through to review by the JPO and certification by WIPO.

Brand owners can easily communicate with their Office of origin, as well as receive and respond to any irregularities issued by WIPO, electronically. This feature is available to all participating intellectual property (IP) offices and saves brand owners a significant amount of time in the processing of international registrations.

Key benefits

  • Reduced irregularities as the application is pre-populated with key information from the Japanese trademark
  • Direct access to the Madrid Goods & Services Manager for listing goods and services and checking acceptability of terms across 40 Contracting Parties of the Madrid Protocol
  • A streamlined certification process at the Office of Origin
  • Synchronized filing with WIPO
  • Live application status displayed in the Madrid e-Filing dashboard
  • One service covering the whole registration process

How to use the Madrid e-Filing service

  1. Access Madrid e-Filing from the website of the Japan Patent Office
  2. Log on and select "New application" to start the filing process.
  3. Enter the Japanese basic application/registration number to import all key information.
  4. Select the Contracting Parties where you seek protection.
  5. Enter applicant, representative, language for correspondence details, mark, goods and services and other relevant information.
  6. Pay the fees to WIPO using a Current Account at WIPO, credit card or by bank transfer or PayPal.
  7. Pay the “handling fee for proceedings of the applications under the Madrid Protocol” directly to the Japan Patent Office (separately from the payment in 6.).
  8. Upon certification by the Japan Patent Office and the confirmation of payment, the system sends the application directly to WIPO for registration.
  9. Respond to irregularity letters where necessary.
  10. Receive your international registration number.

Find out more

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