Worldwide Trademark?

There are 201 countries in the world and unfortunately, there's no single worldwide trade mark. So if you were planning to own trade mark rights worldwide, then you're going to have to file an application in each individually… two-hundred-and-one times... 

Don’t lose hope just yet. First of all, in reality there is no point filing in a country you aren't going to do business in. But if you do want to file in several different countries, there are a few options available. 

One of these is to file an internal application if the countries of your choice are members of the Madrid System.

The Madrid System is an international system that facilitates registration of trade marks in multiple jurisdictions around the world. Under this treaty, when you file a single application it secures protection for your trade mark in several countries.

Here’s a link to the list of all the current member countries: 

http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/treaties/en/documents/pdf/madrid_marks.pdf 

For an international application:

Using the WIPO service streamlines the process. It’s cost effective if you wanted to get rights in four or more countries since the fees for each country are discounted.

However, if you intended to apply for less than four countries, fees charged by WIPO are usually more expensive than the standard national applications.

Then there’s your other option – the EU wide application. This already covers all 27 members including UK. This is also known as a (Community Trade Mark – CTM)

If you're interested in receiving estimates for filing a trade mark application in a specific country, please let us know the number of classes and we will try our best to help you. Heres a basic cost estimate for 1 class.

Our advice fees for CTM (EU) trademark (1 class)

£399.00

CTM Application Fee (1 class)

£780.00

Subtotal

£1,179.00

VAT

£79.80

Total

£1,258.80

One last point, you can also use your UK trade mark application to claim priority when applying in other countries. However, you should apply within 6 months of your UK application to date to take advantage of this perk. This means that your trade mark application internationally will be treated as if you applied on the same date in the UK. Not too bad right?

Regards,

Alex

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