Dear MARQUES Members,
It was a great pleasure meeting you again in Vienna. We would like to thank you for attending the WIPO session and the Workshop on Geographical Indications, and for showing interest in our services at the WIPO stand.
You will find here the presentations on the updates on the Madrid and the Hague Systems made during the WIPO session held on Wednesday, September 16.
As a follow-up, we wanted to highlight some recent developments and E-Services related to the International Trademark System:
-Algeria’s Accession to the Protocol: Algeria was the last remaining Contracting Party of the Madrid Union to be a member of the Agreement only. Further to its accession to the Madrid Protocol, which will enter into force with respect to Algeria on October 31, 2015, the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks has become, for all practical purposes, a single-treaty system. Only one treaty – the Protocol – will govern all transactions effected by or in respect of Contracting Parties and users.
-Madrid notices and newsletter: WIPO moved to a brand-new e-newsletter platform on June 2015. To stay up to date with Madrid news and announcements, and other WIPO developments, visit the newsletter page and sign up for Madrid Notices and Madrid Highlights.
-Madrid System Seminar: the Seminar organized at the WIPO headquarters in Geneva is a must for current and potential users of the System wanting to improve practical skills in filing applications and managing registrations. Hands-on sessions featuring real-life case examples and discussion opportunities with WIPO examiners are planned for trademark holders, agents, paralegals and IP professionals. The next seminar will take place on November 26 and 27, 2015. More information and registration will be available shortly on the Madrid Web page and on the Madrid Seminar page.
-Pendency Rates covering the six key examinations requests are now published on the Madrid homepage.
-Revamped Madrid web pages:
-For new users – “how to” pages designed to assist users in searching before filing , filing an application and managing an international registration;
-For regular users – E-Services and resources grouped according to the lifecycle of a mark – Search (Global Brand Database), File (Madrid Goods & Services Manager, E-filing), Monitor and Manage (Madrid Portfolio Manager, E- Renewal and E-Subsequent Designation);
We hope this information will be useful to you and your business.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at intreg.mail@wipo.int, should you have any query on the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks.
The WIPO team
Issue 057
With three packed days of presentations and workshops, some remarkable venues and lots of busy networking, it was a memorable 29th MARQUES Annual Conference. HouseMARQUES selects a few highlights.
Nearly 40 people attended the recent MARQUES event on protecting trade marks with arbitration and domain name UDRP in Singapore, with some coming from as far away as India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and California.
MARQUES is pleased to share with members a letter received from the WIPO team following this year’s Annual Conference.
Water toys, golden bears and Jack Daniel’s were just a few of the topics being discussed on the MARQUES blogs Class 46 and Class 99 over the past month.
OHIM is continuing to work along with IP offices across Europe to increase convergence of IP practices. The latest fruit of this labour is the most recently endorsed Common Practice document, CP3: ‘Distinctiveness – Figurative marks containing descriptive/non-distinctive words'.
In a follow up to last month’s article, Özlem Fütman of the MARQUES GI Team discusses Turkey’s GI roadmap for 2015 to 2018.
WIPO is hosting a seminar on the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs in Geneva on 19th November.