Effective February 24, 2023, brand owners will have a new option to protect their trademarks in Belize.
Belize
On November 24, 2022, the Government of Belize deposited its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), making it the 113th member of the Madrid System. The Madrid Protocol will enter into force for Belize on February 24, 2023.
Madrid System
The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks (Madrid System) is an international trademark registration system that was established over 130 years ago by 9 countries and has grown to include more than 125 countries, representing more than 80% of world trade. The Madrid System is governed by the Madrid Agreement of 1891 (Madrid Agreement) and the Madrid Protocol of 1989 (Madrid Protocol), as those treaties have been amended over many years. The Madrid Union is made up of Contracting Parties to the Madrid Agreement and the Madrid Protocol. The Madrid System offers important advantages as well as potential tradeoffs and pitfalls that experienced trademark counsel can help brand owners navigate.
Madrid Union
Recent members of the Madrid Union include the following countries:
| Country | Member | Accession Date | Effective Date |
| Belize | 113th | November 24, 2022 | February 24, 2023 |
| Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) | 112th | April 6, 2022 | July 6, 2022 |
| Chile | 111th | April 4, 2022 | July 4, 2022 |
| Jamaica | 110th | December 27, 2021 | March 27, 2022 |
| United Arab Emirates (UAE) | 109th | September 28, 2021 | December 28, 2021 |
| Pakistan | 108th | February 24, 2021 | May 24, 2021 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 107th | October 12, 2020 | January 12, 2021 |
| Malaysia | 106th | September 27, 2019 | December 27, 2019 |
| Brazil | 105th | July 2, 2019 | October 2, 2019 |
| Canada | 104th | March 17, 2019 | June 17, 2019 |
| Samoa | 103rd | December 4, 2018 | March 4, 2019 |
Founded in 1883, Beggs & Lane is a full-service law firm that assists clients worldwide with intellectual property (IP) protection, including global brand portfolio management, IP due diligence, trademark and copyright registrations, IP licensing and assignments, work-for-hire agreements, customs and border protection, domain name disputes, intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement, negotiations, anticounterfeiting and anticybersquatting enforcement, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) proceedings, IP litigation, arbitration (including UDRP proceedings) and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR), appeals, and other matters. The firm has assisted clients with trademark applications covering more than 136 countries worldwide.