New Madrid System Online Service Makes Filing International Applications Easier for Users

July 20, 2020

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has launched the Madrid Application Assistant, which automatically records all the information required to complete an international application.

The Madrid Application Assistant is the latest improvement to the service level of the Madrid Registry as part of WIPO's drive to enhance the creation and management of trademark rights under the Madrid System.

The Madrid Application Assistant helps users to generate high-quality application files. Through the data import from the Office of origin’s national/regional trademarks database, the application is automatically pre-populated with the relevant information for a Madrid international application - from contact details to a full list of goods and services. Built-in features also include the automatic verification of the classification of the list of goods and services, as well as its translation. This reduces user effort while also lessening the risk of irregularities, thus making the process of filing an international application more efficient and accurate.

(Image: WIPO)

Availability of all services online will make the Madrid System more user-friendly, bringing long term benefits to the users as well as the Offices.

Francis Gurry, Director General of WIPO

By integrating online filing options currently available in all member Offices concerned, the Madrid Application Assistant serves as a convenient gateway to navigate applicants to those services quickly.

Furthermore, improved quality of application files generated by the Madrid Application Assistant will contribute to substantially reduce workload of examination for the Office of origin by minimizing irregularities.

The Madrid Application Assistant is derived from Madrid e-Filing, the WIPO-powered online filing solution for Madrid Member IP Offices. This means it could easily be upgraded to the latter in order to support all examination work by Offices of origin from start to finish, including online verification and real-time communication of files to WIPO. IP Offices are encouraged to liaise with WIPO to discuss upgrading the Madrid Application Assistant to Madrid e-Filing in the Offices of origin.

WIPO advises all users of the Madrid System to use the Madrid Application Assistant and online filing services offered by IP Offices. It is committed to providing more online services under the Madrid System for the benefit of the users as well as member IP Offices.

About the Madrid Application Assistant

The Madrid Application Assistant is an electronic version of the official MM2 form that is used to file an international application under the Madrid System.

The assistant records all the information required to complete an international application in an intuitive and linear manner. Once completed, the international application will be made available in a PDF format ready for you to submit to the Office of origin for certification.

Functionalities of the Madrid Application Assistant include:

  • convenient data import for basic marks,
  • real-time calculation of fees,
  • easy use of classification tools (Madrid Goods & Services Manager) and more.

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