Qatar to encourage global trademarks in compliance with Madrid Protocol

Qatar seeks to enhance support to inventors, intellectuals, creators, trademark owners and other rights holders, including both individuals and institutions, by encouraging the international registration of trademarks in accordance with the Madrid Protocol.

The aim of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) is to promote trade and industrial activities, promote national investments and support local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to cope with global developments and competition within the framework of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

This was disclosed at workshop on the international registration of trademarks in accordance with the Madrid Protocol, a pact that makes it possible to protect a mark in a large number of countries by obtaining an international registration that has effect in each of the designated contracting parties.

The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks is governed by the Madrid Agreement, concluded in 1891, and the protocol relating to that agreement, concluded in 1989. The workshop was organised in co-operation with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), within the framework of a national plan to modernise local laws to accede to international conventions and treaties on intellectual property rights. During the workshop, experts from the MCI, the WIPO and the Moroccan Industrial and Commercial Property Office tackled several important topics, focusing on the mechanisms of the international registration of trademarks in accordance with the Madrid Protocol, its characteristics and its benefits to right owners, national offices and the state.

The workshop shed light on the steps of registering a mark internationally starting with the submission of the international application, its transmission to the international office in Geneva and its publication by WIPO. The international application is then examined by the designated national offices to decide whether to register the mark or submit the reasons the application was rejected to the organisation to initiate appeal procedures. The workshop also touched on the process of registering and renewing protection for a mark and assessing the current status of the registration of national trademarks.

The MCI-Madrid Protocol workshop. The MCI is looking to promote trade and industrial activities, promote national investments and support local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to cope with global developments and competition within the framework of the Qatar National Vision 2030.