Back to (Inter)national trademarks

If I register a trademark through WIPO, will it be global?

Senior Trademark Attorney

No. Registering an application through WIPO's Madrid System does not guarantee global coverage. Yes, the Madrid System allows you to designate multiple countries in a single international application, but each designated country examines the application under its own national rules and can refuse it independently. And to achieve global coverage, you would still have to choose every country in the world, which would come with exorbitant costs.

If a country refuses the international application, that refusal affects only that country's designation. Other designated countries are unaffected. The result is a collection of national registrations managed centrally through WIPO, not a single global right.

Related questions

From Kimono, through #KimOhNo, to Skims: A branding nightmare for Kim Kardashian

#KimOhNo became a symbol of the backlash to Kim Kardashian’s attempt to register a trademark for her new line of shape wear, Kimono.

Brand protection and music festivals: the case of Coachella

Ghana’s music festival Afrochella is accused of trademark infringement in a lawsuit filed by organizers of Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. This is not the first Goldenvoice, the company behind Coachella, have appeared in headlines for enforcing its trademarks, showing that music festivals are just as adamant about their intellectual property rights as any other brand.

Stories of our clients: Eonce chocolate

“We focus on making simple and delicious chocolate, ethically sourced and without additives. That’s the real alchemy where you take something that does not exist and turn it into a reality that people can see, taste, touch and smell.” Jose and Julie first met in Culinary School in Seville and it has been their dream come true to establish Eonce Chocolate, a delicious brand proudly protected by Trama.