The Madrid System: Key Absentees

Coverage Offered by the Madrid System

The Madrid System, which includes signatories to the Madrid Protocol (currently with 81 signatories) and the Madrid Agreement (currently with 56 signatories) covers 84 countries. This is a minority of the approximately 190 countries that are currently members of the United Nations.

Key Countries Excluded from the Madrid System

Generally the wealthier nations are members of the Madrid System, however there are a number of countries that are important to Australia in a trading, cultural or regional sense which are not party to the Madrid System. As at the date of writing, countries that are not members of the Madrid System include (in alphabetical order):

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Canada
• Indonesia
• India
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• South Africa
• Taiwan
• Thailand

The Need for Strategic Thinking

If you are seeking trademark protection in any of those countries, it will be necessary to consider filing one or more direct national trademark applications, either alone or in conjunction with a broader Madrid System application.