Trademark owners perspective on the Madrid system: practical experiences and theoretical underpinnings

Abstract

Based on the assumption that possible future reforms of the Madrid System for the filing and renewal of trademark registration at the international level must be user driven, the paper explored in a series of 23 in-depth interviews, the views of companies varying in size, geographical distribution, market context and number of trademarks filed for a company through the Madrid System. The empirical analysis underlined the important role of the Madrid System in expanding their market coverage, but also showed that a major challenge will be to meet the diverse needs of business operating in varied contexts of developing and developed countries. While firms in developed countries need a system that fits high-speed post-fordist business operations, further awareness raising and capacity building is necessary to fully integrate the private sector in developing countries and to expand participation beyond current usage levels.economic costs of trademark protection, user driven innovation, international trademark filing, international trade,