Qatar Joins the Madrid System for International Trademark Registration

Qatar Joins the Madrid System for International Trademark Registration

On May 3, 2024, Qatar officially presented its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol for the International Registration of Trademarks, a strategic move in line with Qatar’s National Development Vision 2030. This makes Qatar the 115th member of the Madrid System and the fourth Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country to join, following Bahrain in 2005, Oman in 2007, and the United Arab Emirates in 2021. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced Qatar's accession on May 4, 2024, which was confirmed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on May 6, 2024. With this accession, WIPO’s international trademark system will extend to 131 countries when the Madrid Protocol takes effect in Qatar on August 3, 2024.

For trademark owners or applicants in Qatar, the accession to the Madrid System means they can now use the Madrid Protocol to apply for the same trademark in any of the other 130 member countries simultaneously by filing a single international application through Qatar’s trademark office. However, each country will examine the application independently, so acceptance in one country does not guarantee acceptance in another. The Madrid Protocol, adopted in 1989 and administered by the International Bureau of WIPO, facilitates the registration and maintenance of trademarks across multiple jurisdictions. This system provides an efficient method for filing and maintaining trademark registrations through a single trademark office, streamlining the process for trademark owners.