By Stephen D. Wilson | July 16, 2024
On May 3, 2024, Qatar became the fourth Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nation to join an international trademark treaty among more than 130 countries including the United States.
Madrid Union
On May 3, 2024, the Government of Qatar deposited its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol (the governing Treaty of the Madrid System) with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The Madrid Protocol will enter into force with respect to Qatar on August 3, 2024.
The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks [“Madrid System”] is an international trademark registration system established over 100 years ago that currently includes more than 130 countries, representing more than 80% of world trade. The Madrid System is governed by the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (1891) [“Madrid Agreement”] and the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement (1989) [“Madrid Protocol”]. 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 for the unwary that experienced trademark counsel can help brand owners navigate.
The most recent Madrid Union members include the following countries:
| Country | Member | Accession Date | Effective Date |
| State of Qatar | 115th | May 3, 2024 | August 3, 2024 |
| Republic of Mauritius | 114th | February 6, 2023 | May 6, 2023 |
| Belize | 113th | November 24, 2022 | February 24, 2023 |
| Republic of Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) | 112th | April 6, 2022 | July 6, 2022 |
| Republic of 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 |
| Islamic Republic of Pakistan | 108th | February 24, 2021 | May 24, 2021 |
| Republic of Trinidad and Tobago | 107th | October 12, 2020 | January 12, 2021 |
| Malaysia | 106th | September 27, 2019 | December 27, 2019 |
| Federative Republic of Brazil | 105th | July 2, 2019 | October 2, 2019 |
| Canada | 104th | March 17, 2019 | June 17, 2019 |
| Independent State of Samoa | 103rd | December 4, 2018 | March 4, 2019 |
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
Other GCC nations that have joined the Madrid System include Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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