Question 1

What are the conditions for registering a trademark internationally under the Madrid system?

Accepted Answer

A business or individual must have a basic mark in Vietnam — either an already-granted trademark registration certificate or a pending application at the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam. The scope of goods/services in the international application may not exceed the scope of the basic mark. In addition, the applicant must be a Vietnamese citizen/legal entity, or have a genuine commercial activity in Vietnam.

Question 2

Which countries does the Madrid system protect trademarks in?

Accepted Answer

The Madrid system currently has more than 130 member countries, including: the entire EU (1 designation = 27 member states), the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, ASEAN countries (Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia), the UK, Russia, Canada, the UAE, India, and most of the world's major economies. The complete, up-to-date list is available on WIPO's Madrid Monitor.

Question 3

How long does it take to obtain protection abroad?

Accepted Answer

After WIPO issues the international registration number, each member country has up to 18 months to examine and decide on the application. If no refusal notice is received within that period, the mark is automatically protected in that country. Some countries, such as the EU, may extend this by a further 6 months. The total time from the filing date to protection in most countries is 18-30 months.

Question 4

How much does registration under the Madrid system cost?

Accepted Answer

The cost depends on: the number of classes of goods/services, the number of designated countries, and whether the mark is in color or black-and-white. WIPO's basic fee for a black-and-white mark in up to 3 classes is CHF 653; for a color mark it is CHF 903. Some countries (the US, EU, Australia, Japan) apply their own individual fees, which can be considerably higher. Contact LTV Law for a detailed quote based on your specific list of countries.

Question 5

What should be done if the application is refused in a particular country?

Accepted Answer

Upon receiving a provisional refusal notice from a country, you have a deadline to file a response (usually 3 months, extendable depending on the country). LTV Law will draft the response in the local language, through a representative in that country, to protect your international registration. If refused entirely in one country, the registration remains valid in the other countries that have accepted it.

Question 6

What is a "Central Attack" and how does it affect the registration?

Accepted Answer

A Central Attack is the risk that, if the basic mark in Vietnam is cancelled or invalidated within the first 5 years from the date of international registration, the entire international registration is also terminated. After this 5-year period, the international registration becomes independent and is no longer affected. To prevent this, businesses need to firmly protect their basic mark in Vietnam.

Question 7

Can countries be added after the international registration number has already been issued?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can file a subsequent designation (form MM11) to add further member countries at any time during the term of protection. WIPO fees apply according to the schedule of the added country. This is a major point of flexibility of the Madrid system compared with filing separately in each country.

Question 8

Is Madrid registration more cost-effective than filing separately in each country?

Accepted Answer

For 3 or more countries, the Madrid system is generally more cost-effective and considerably simplifies procedures compared with separate national filings. Advantages: a single application in English/French, a single renewal covering all countries, centralized management through WIPO, and no need to translate the file into multiple languages. However, for just 1-2 countries, direct national filing is sometimes more economical. LTV Law will advise on the most optimal approach for each specific case.

Fee item	Amount	Note
WIPO basic fee — applies to every MM2 application
WIPO basic fee (black-and-white mark, ≤3 classes)	CHF 653	Basic fee — applies to every MM2 application
WIPO basic fee (color mark, ≤3 classes)	CHF 903	Higher fee applies if the mark is filed in color
Supplementary fee (4th class and beyond)	CHF 100/class	Supplementary fee
Individual fees for typical countries (paid on top, per their own schedule)
China — individual fee/class	CHF 271	Paid in addition, per China's own fee schedule
European Union (EUIPO) — individual fee/class	EUR 1,160	1 EU designation = protection in 27 member states
United States (USPTO) — individual fee/class	~USD 500	Individual fee applies, per USPTO's own fee schedule
NOIP Vietnam transmittal fee	~VND 1,500,000	Fee payable to the Vietnamese office of origin
LTV Law service fee	Contact for quote	Depends on the number of countries and complexity of the file
Actual total cost	Contact for quote	Depends on the number of countries & classes

International Trademark
Registration under the Madrid System

Quick information

The Madrid system — what is international trademark registration?

Benefits of the Madrid system

Conditions for registering a trademark internationally

1. Have a basic mark in Vietnam (Basic Mark)

2. Scope of goods/services must not exceed the basic mark

3. The applicant is a Vietnamese citizen/legal entity

International trademark registration process — 7 steps

Documents to prepare for international trademark registration

International trademark registration fees (WIPO)

LTV Law's international trademark registration services

Self-filing via NOIP Package

Full-Service Package

LTV Law — A Trusted International Intellectual Property Partner

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in 130+ countries

Registration information

Frequently asked questions about international trademark registration

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International Trademark Registration under the Madrid System