The UAE and Switzerland deposit instruments of accession to the Madrid Protocol and Geneva Act respectively
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the latest country to deposit their instrument of accession with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) in relation to the Madrid Protocol on September 28, 2021.
The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks will henceforth consist of 109 members covering 125 countries across the world, inclusive of the UAE, with the Protocol officially entering into effect in the jurisdiction from December 28, 2021. The UAE joins Bahrain and Oman as the third country within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to have acceded to the Madrid System.
Once enforced in the UAE, local brand owners may utilise the Madrid Protocol to file a single international trademark application under the Madrid System, alongside payment of one set of fees, covering any or all of the 125 countries which are party to the System. Moreover, the country's accession to the Madrid System allows applicants to file an international trademark application designating the UAE.
The accession of the UAE to the Madrid Protocol strengthens the country's position in the global market by way of encouraging applicants to contribute to the national economy, whilst also increasing their own profit, due to the establishment of a new simplified procedure of registering trademarks in the UAE.
Switzerland has also joined an international IP System, having deposited its instrument of accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications on August 31, 2021.
The Geneva Act will enter into force for Switzerland as of December 1, 2021, allowing Swiss producers to protect their renowned appellations of origin and geographical indications under the Act.
Switzerland marks the 34th country privy to the Geneva Act, through which producers of quality products linked to origin can file one application to the WIPO with a single set of fees, resulting in the protection of designations of their products by way of either appellation of origin, or geographical indication. The Act further builds on the legal framework of the Lisbon System, to which 55 countries, including Switzerland, are a party to.
As such, it will be possible for Swiss producers to protect and promote their globally famous Swiss watches, L’etivaz or Tête de Moine cheese products, Viande Séchée du Valais or St. Galler Bratwurst meat products in the multiple jurisdictions party to the Geneva Act.
The accession to the Geneva Act by Switzerland provides for the assistance of producers in the country with protecting their quality products in an efficient and cost effective manner in 34 jurisdictions.