Madrid Protocol · WIPO international filing
Extend one trademark to your choice of the 130+ Madrid jurisdictions through a single attorney-led WIPO application, quoted to your designation list.
Base mark verified
Before you file
One WIPO filing
130+ countries
Every office tracked
One number, one inbox
Trusted by founders and brands worldwide
How it works
We verify that your home-country application or registration can serve as a Madrid base, then map your commercial markets to the Madrid jurisdictions and quote the exact designation list. We flag designations that need defensive sub-class strategy (China) or transliterations (China, Japan, Korea, UAE, Saudi Arabia).
We draft the international application, including the goods-and-services specification scaled to each designation's classification system, and submit through your office of origin to WIPO. WIPO formal examination usually concludes within 6–8 weeks of filing.
After WIPO publishes the international registration, each designated office runs its own substantive examination. We track them all, respond to standard procedural notifications, and forward national certificates to your portal as they issue. Most designations grant within 12–18 months.
When Madrid is the right route
Madrid Protocol filings only make sense in specific commercial situations. We tell you when to use it — and when direct national filings are the better answer.
Madrid is dramatically cheaper than running ten parallel national filings. The break-even point typically sits around 8–10 designations, depending on the registry mix — we model the exact crossover for your list before you commit.
A single WIPO international registration replaces a stack of national matters — one filing, one renewal cycle, one number to track. Designation fees are passed through at cost; our professional fee scales with the list, quoted upfront so there are no surprises.
If your base mark is cancelled in the first 5 years, every Madrid designation falls with it. After year 5, the international registration becomes fully independent of the base.
What's included & how pricing works
Madrid is quoted per matter, because the cost scales with how many countries you designate. GTC's professional fee — from $10,000.00, scaling with the list — covers base-mark verification, designation strategy, drafting, WIPO submission, multi-jurisdiction status tracking, certificate handling, and the first non-substantive office-action response in each jurisdiction. Government pass-through — the WIPO basic fee plus an individual fee for each country you designate — is paid to WIPO and the national offices at cost. We quote both parts to your exact list before any work begins, so the number you see is the number you pay.
Substantive refusals are quoted upfront. Article 5 refusals (likelihood of confusion, lack of distinctiveness), inter partes proceedings, and post-grant maintenance are out of scope of the base engagement and are quoted per matter before any work begins. Defensive Chinese-character, katakana, and Hangul filings are separate national applications and are not part of a Madrid international registration.
When direct national is better
Madrid Protocol filings come with real trade-offs. In four common situations, direct national filings are the more sensible route. We model both during the pre-engagement consultation.
Direct national filings are usually more cost-effective at this scale, and the registrations are fully independent from day one — no central-attack exposure.
A Madrid international registration is tied to the base mark for 5 years. If that's a deal-breaker for your IP strategy, file directly with each national registry instead.
Hong Kong and Taiwan, in particular, are not Madrid members. Brands targeting those markets must file directly with the local registry, regardless of how many other designations they want.
For one or two target jurisdictions, the WIPO basic fee and central-attack risk aren't worth the simplicity gain. Direct national filings are the better answer.
Get started
Tell us your base mark and the markets you want to protect — a GTC attorney will confirm Madrid is the right route and quote your designation list before any work begins.
Brand details
Enter the trademark / brand name exactly as it should be protected.
Madrid needs a base trademark in your home IP office. If you don't have one, we file a USPTO base application for you — included in the $45,000 price, at no extra cost. This filing covers all 118 Madrid Protocol jurisdictions in one application.
Why GTC
Before any filing, we confirm your office-of-origin application or registration can serve as a Madrid base — same applicant, identical mark, goods within the base's scope — so the international application isn't rejected on a defect.
We map your commercial markets to the Madrid jurisdictions and quote the exact designation list, flagging where defensive sub-class strategy or transliterations belong outside the Madrid filing.
A single WIPO international registration replaces a stack of national matters — one filing, one renewal cycle, one number tracked against every designated office in your GTC portal.
The first non-substantive office-action response in each designated jurisdiction is part of the engagement; substantive Article 5 refusals and inter partes proceedings are quoted upfront before any work begins.
Your Customer Success Team
Every GTC client gets a dedicated Account Manager and a Senior Account Manager who learn your business and stay with you from first email to final filing. They are named people who pick up the phone and already know your matter, so every step moves forward without delay.
Your day-to-day point of contact, who coordinates every matter, keeps things moving, and already knows your file. They have your full history, so you start every conversation where the last one left off.
Senior oversight on strategy and escalations, stepping in as your needs grow, so every important detail stays on track.
A named person, on email or a call, at every step.
How we compare
| What you get | GTC | Online filing services | Doing it yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base-mark eligibility verified before the international application is filed | |||
| Designation list mapped to your commercial markets and quoted upfront | |||
| One WIPO application managed across every designated office | |||
| First non-substantive office-action response per designation included | |||
| Central-attack risk explained before you commit to Madrid | |||
| WIPO and national designation fees passed through at cost |
Base-mark eligibility verified before the international application is filed
Designation list mapped to your commercial markets and quoted upfront
One WIPO application managed across every designated office
First non-substantive office-action response per designation included
Central-attack risk explained before you commit to Madrid
WIPO and national designation fees passed through at cost
The Madrid timeline
A Madrid filing runs on a fixed procedural calendar across WIPO and every designated office. Here is what to expect.
We verify your office-of-origin application or registration can serve as a Madrid base — same applicant, identical mark, goods within scope — and quote the designation list. If you don't yet hold a base, we arrange the national filing in tandem.
We draft the international application with the goods-and-services specification scaled to each designation's classification system, and submit it through your office of origin to WIPO.
WIPO checks the application for formalities, records the international registration, and publishes it — typically within 6–8 weeks of filing. The opposition and refusal clocks at each designated office start here.
Each designated office runs its own substantive examination, with up to 12 (or 18) months to issue a refusal. We track them all and respond to standard procedural notifications; substantive Article 5 refusals are quoted upfront.
As each office grants protection, the local registration certificate is delivered to your GTC portal. Most designations grant within 12–18 months of publication, varying by registry.
For the first 5 years every designation depends on the base mark; from year 5 onward the international registration becomes fully independent and the central-attack risk disappears.
In their words
I've had the pleasure of working with Rajat for many years. He has expertly guided me through the process of registering my company in the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and more. His deep knowledge of trademark law across jurisdictions is impressive.
Darius Tay, ID
ExcellentTrustpilotMadrid Protocol FAQ
Filing in 1–5 priority markets instead?
Direct national filings give you fully independent rights from day one. See our top-20 jurisdiction pages for fixed pricing per country.
The Madrid Protocol contracting parties
Every Madrid member can be designated in a single international application. Top Madrid jurisdictions shown here; the full list of 110+ contracting parties (covering 130+ countries) lives on the WIPO Madrid Monitor. View the full WIPO member list
Madrid members shown from GTC's top jurisdictions list. The Madrid Protocol spans 130+ countries through 110+ contracting parties (the EU counts as one party but covers all 27 member states).
* Government fees. Government pass-through includes the WIPO basic fee (CHF 653 black-and-white / CHF 903 colour) and an individual designation fee for each country you select — paid to WIPO and the national offices at cost. Designation fees fluctuate with currency and scheduled WIPO/registry adjustments; your quote reflects the rates current when it is issued. Government-fee handling and refund treatment are governed by our Refund & Credit Policy.
† Substantive refusals out of scope. The engagement covers the first non-substantive office-action response in each designated jurisdiction. Substantive refusals under Article 5 of the Madrid Protocol, inter partes proceedings (oppositions, invalidations, cancellations), and post-grant maintenance (renewals, declarations of use, transfers) are out of scope and are quoted upfront per matter before any work begins. See scope of work.
§ Central-attack risk. For 5 years from the international registration date, every Madrid designation is dependent on the base mark. If the base is refused, withdrawn, or cancelled within that period, every designation falls with it. From year 5 onward, the international registration becomes fully independent of the base. Central-attack outcomes are a feature of the Madrid system and not a refund trigger (see our policy on office decisions). Where this dependency is unacceptable to your IP strategy, direct national filings remain available.
Not sure Madrid is the right route?
Book a free 30-minute consult with a Madrid-experienced trademark attorney. We'll confirm your base mark, map your designation list across the 130+ Madrid countries, and quote the all-in number — or tell you when direct national filings are the smarter call. No sales pitch, no obligation.
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