Changes in Madrid International Trademarks Registration System

The National Center of Intellectual Property offers its explanations in relation to the February changes in the Madrid system of international trademark registration.

The international application form has been simplified and now includes a single image of the claimed designation. Earlier there could be two such images: the one contained in the national register and the actual one - for the countries that do not maintain or have not maintained register of trademarks in color (it was irrelevant to the Republic of Belarus). In the enlarged square up to 20x20 cm the claimed designation should still be placed in the format 8x8 cm (the same as the basic mark). It became more convenient to apply for international registration of the label.

There is another change that does not directly affect the Republic of Belarus yet. Under the Madrid system it is now possible to register some marks that do not have a graphic design, namely sound, video and multimedia marks. Thus, countries whose legislation provides for the registration of such marks will be able to exchange corresponding applications in the framework of the international procedure as well. Information on the types of marks protected in a country can be found in the World Intellectual Property Organization's Member Profile Database.

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