India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma today deposited his country’s instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol for the International Registration of Marks at WIPO, bringing the total number of members of the international trademark system to 90. The treaty will enter into force with respect to India on July 8, 2013. The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks (Madrid system) offers trademark owners a cost effective, user friendly and streamlined means of protecting and managing their trademark portfolio internationally.
India is the 14th of the G-20 economies to accede to the Madrid Protocol. Mr. Gurry said “India’s accession to the international trademark system, as with the recent accessions by Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand and Philippines, signals an era of significant geographical expansion of the Madrid system, which offers greater benefit to right holders worldwide.” The Madrid system is equally attractive to large businesses as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the largest users of the system. In the midst of current global economic conditions, the Madrid system has shown signs of strength, evidence of its advantages in protecting trademarks internationally.