By Arpit Kalra and Abhishek Chandok
On December 27, 2021, the Government of Jamaica has deposited its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol with WIPO’s Director General[1]. The Madrid Protocol will enter into force for the Government of Jamaica on March 27, 2022. By signing the accession of instrument, Jamaica becomes the 110th member of the Madrid System, which now covers 126 countries.
The Madrid protocol is bringing the world closer together with respect to the trade opportunities and in the expansion of IP related co-operation between countries. Jamaica’s adoption of the Madrid Protocol will not just help the big brand owners in Jamaica to take their brands to other member countries but also the local business owners like SME’s and entrepreneurs will benefit from the simple registration process of the Madrid Protocol. The local business owners in Jamaica could seek protection of their trademark in territories of the other member countries through a single application filed with the Jamaica, IP office and payment of single set of official fees. This will help them in significantly reducing the costs and efforts during their expansion in other 109 countries.
In addition, the foreign applicants could also obtain trademark protection for their marks by designating Jamaica in their Madrid Application along with other member countries. From March 27, 2022, using WIPO’s online subsequent designation service, foreign companies and trademark owners can expand their trademark protection through the Madrid System to include the consumer market of Jamaica. The accession to the Madrid Protocol is a positive step towards promoting trade cooperation between countries.
[1] https://www.wipo.int/madrid/en/news/2022/news_0001.html
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