The Philippines recently became the 85th country to join the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, better known as the Madrid Protocol. Local companies looking to enter into the global market can now look forward to reduced cost and time spent on their international trademark filing activities as they need only to file a single trademark application in one language using one currency to obtain protection in several member countries.
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHIL) expects a higher number of trademark applications from local business owners when the Madrid Protocol enters into force and international applications under the Protocol are accepted on 25 July 2012.