The United States is a party to the Madrid Protocol, an international treaty simplifying and centralizing the process for registering trademarks on an international basis. This treaty allows owners of U.S. trademark...more
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently published its annual Madrid Yearly Review, offering a comprehensive overview of the facts, figures, and analyses of the international registration of marks....more
The blog post, “What are the Types of Trademarks,” explained the distinction between Trademarks, Service Marks, State Marks, Federal Marks, and Common Law Marks, which are common types of protection for marks in the United...more
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently issued a bulletin on the New Madrid Protocol webpages for international trademark applicants (govdelivery.com). Specifically, the USPTO explains that its website...more
This webinar will highlight Canada-specific issues for those pursuing Canadian designations of international registrations. Our speakers will outline surprising challenges and unexpected issues that can arise with the...more
While the United States Patent & Trademark office is experiencing an inordinately long backlog, U.S. companies seeking to protect their marks internationally are feeling the impact of the extended wait time, and particularly...more
My previous blog post, “What are the Types of Trademarks,” explained the distinction between Trademarks, Service Marks, State Marks, Federal Marks, and Common Law Marks, which are common types of protection for marks in the...more
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has updated the deadline to respond to Office Actions for trademark applications. As of December 3, 2022, trademark applicants now have three months (instead of the...more
The Republic of Chile joined the Madrid Protocol on July 4, 2022, making it the 111th member of the Madrid System. The country is the latest in Latin America to accede to the multinational trademark registration system,...more
The general rule under U.S. trademark law is that the first to use a trademark in U.S. commerce has priority in the mark over other "would-be" users of the same, or confusingly similar, mark. This applies in both common law...more
In the latest expansion of the Madrid System, the United Arab Emirates will join the Madrid Protocol on December 28, 2021. The UAE is the third country in the Gulf Cooperation Council (along with Bahrain and Oman) to join the...more
Until just a few years ago, most Canadian brand owners doing business abroad had limited options for protecting their trademarks outside of Canada. They were obliged to file separate applications in each country of interest,...more
Canada has established itself as an attractive jurisdiction in which to do business. It has a stable economy, a high-income population, a business-friendly environment and has long led the G7 in growth. It also has especially...more
As previously reported, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) began an initiative to accept telephone amendments for simple prosecution issues in May 2020. Considering the initiative’s success in helping CIPO...more
Nowadays, the concept of business can rarely prescind from globalization. But the rules and regulations that provide Intellectual Property protection have not always been able to keep up with the internationalization of...more
The United States is a party to the Madrid Protocol, an international treaty simplifying the process for registering trademarks on an international basis. This treaty allows owners of U.S. trademark registrations and pending...more
Foreign brand owners can file trademark applications in China as national applications (CNAs) or International Registrations (IRs) under the Madrid Protocol. There are pros and cons to each route, and brand owners may find it...more
Brazil, a country having one of the largest economies in Latin America, has become the latest country to join the Madrid Protocol, effective October 2, 2019. The Madrid Protocol provides a cost-effective and efficient way...more
Brazil became the 105th member of The Madrid Protocol on October 2, 2019, expanding the Madrid System to cover 121 countries. Brazilian entities can now protect their trademarks within the system by filing a single...more
A trademark is a word, name, or symbol used to identify and distinguish a seller’s product from those of others. A trademark is part of a company’s brand. It is the embodiment of the company’s reputation. Over time, a...more