Thanks to the Madrid Agreement concerning the international registration of trade marks, a single applicationcan be made to obtain international protection for a national trade mark or EU trade mark that has already been applied for or registered in other member states of the Agreement national or European Union trade mark in the other member states of the Agreement. This now applies to 130 countries around the world, including the United States, Australia, Canada, China, Japan , Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Qatar is now also officially joining the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). On August 3rd, 2024 the Madrid Protocol will enter into force there, making itpossibleto register trademarks internationally in the Emirate of Qatarin future. This development is not only an important step for Qatari companies and Qatari companies and entrepreneurs who want to extendtheir trade mark protection and the protection of their intellectual property internationally, but also an important step for foreign companies investing in Qatar. Qatar is thus simplifying its legal framework for the protection of trade marks in order toattractfurther foreign investment and build a competitive economy.
Practical implications for you as a (future) trade mark owner:
If you already have a national trade mark registration with the Intellectual Property Department of the Qatari Ministry of Commerce and Industry or have filed an application, you can use the Madrid system to have your trade mark protected in up to 131 countries simultaneously by filingonly one international application in one language (English, French or Spanish) and paying a single fee (fees are paid in Swiss Francs).
If you are the trade mark owner in another member state of the Madrid system (e.g. any member state of the EU), you can now initiatethe protection of your trade mark in Qatar abroad from here. This also saves a lot of costs. If you are already the owner of an international trade mark registration, you can also extendits geographical scope to Qatar.
Please do not hesitate to contact us!