Although trademark laws are not the same in various countries, the most common point is the legal protection of trademark ownership. There are four common registration methods for international trademark registration, namely: Madrid trademark, EU trademark, Single country trademark registration and African Intellectual Property Organization trademark registration. Today's enterprises are becoming more and more aware of trademark protection. In order to prevent trademarks from being registered or counterfeited and the brand foundation laid being destroyed, registering a trademark is the best way to protect the brand.

However, brand trademarks that go abroad are not protected by the laws of other countries. In order for the brand to be protected by laws in other countries, it is necessary to register an international trademark. Let me briefly introduce the characteristics of four international trademark registrations:

1. Single-country trademark registration

Refers to the registration method of submitting registration applications directly to the trademark authorities of each country/region. , also known as "country-by-country registration", is the most commonly used method of international trademark protection. It is a protection method that is relative to the registration method of some international or regional intellectual property protection organizations. Some countries adopt the "first-to-use" principle, that is, the first user has priority in obtaining trademark rights, and some countries adopt the "first-to-file" principle, that is, the first to apply has priority in obtaining trademark rights; the time required for registration in each country There are also big differences, the short one only takes about half a year, and the long one takes 4-5 years; the trademark validity period, fees and usage requirements of each country are also different.

2. Madrid International Trademark Registration

Madrid International Trademark Registration is a method of international trademark registration protection between all Madrid contracting states. Its biggest feature is that it only requires one application to be submitted. It is possible to require registration in multiple contracting states. As of August 2014, there were 93 parties to the Treaty. Madrid International Registration is under the unified management of the International Bureau, located in Geneva, Switzerland, and is one of the agencies under the jurisdiction of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

3. EU trademark registration

EU trademark registration refers to a registration method that applies for registration protection uniformly in all EU countries through the Office for Coordination of the Internal Market under the EU. Since the EU is a unified market, after a trademark is registered with the "EU (also known as the European Community)", it will be protected in each EU member state.

4. African Intellectual Property Organization Trademark Registration

The African Intellectual Property Organization (referred to as OAPI or Fizhi) is a regional knowledge organization composed of former French colonies and countries whose official language is French. After the trademark is approved and registered by the Property Rights Protection Alliance, it is protected in 17 member countries and is valid for 10 years. The organization has an intellectual property office in Cameroon, which manages the trademark affairs of each member country. Each member state is bound by the African Intellectual Property Organization in the field of trademarks and does not have its own independent trademark system. Therefore, there is no possibility of registration in each country one by one. It can only be registered and protected through the African Intellectual Property Organization.

FAQ: What are the company's international trademark registration procedures?

In short, international trademark registration is not only to prevent others from preemptively registering it, but also to realize the self-protection of the enterprise and prevent others from infringing on the company's interests. . This is a brief introduction to the knowledge about international trademark registration. For intellectual property services, look to Bajie! Trademark Registration Apply for International Trademark Registration