IP STRATEGY

The Madrid Protocol for International Trademark Registration: A Practical Guide

MAY 2026 · 8 min read

Before the Madrid Protocol, registering in ten countries meant ten separate applications, ten agents, and ten invoices. Today, one filing reaches all 130 member states. But the system has conditions you must understand before filing.

What Is the Madrid Protocol?

An international treaty administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, allowing registration of a mark in any number of member countries through a single application, in one language, in one currency.

Saudi Arabia has joined the Protocol, and Saudi residents can use it to extend protection internationally.

The Core Condition: Local Registration

You cannot use the Protocol before registering the mark in your home country (Saudi Arabia, at SAIP). The local registration is the "base" from which international protection branches.

The international application must match the base registration in name, logo, and goods list. Any discrepancy causes refusal.

How the International Application Is Filed

Filed through SAIP, which forwards it to WIPO. Includes: official form, mark image, Nice goods list, and list of target countries.

WIPO conducts initial administrative examination within two months, then forwards to the relevant country offices.

Examination in Each Country

Each member country examines the application under its national law as though it were a local filing. It may accept, refuse, or issue observations.

Responding to observations is done through a local agent in that country. This is the "bottleneck" that wastes time if you lack an agent network.

Protection Duration and Renewal

Initial protection is 10 years, renewable every ten years through one application to WIPO covering all countries.

This consolidated renewal is a major advantage: instead of ten separate defenses, a single unified process.

The Major Twist: "Dependence on Base"

If the Saudi base registration is lost in the first 5 years, all linked international registrations fall too. This is the "dependence on base" rule.

After 5 years, the international registration becomes independent. This is the high-risk window during which the local registration must be vigorously maintained.

Costs

Base fees: 653 Swiss francs (~SAR 2,750) in WIPO fees. Then per-country fees: ranging 100–800 francs depending on country.

Registering in 10 countries: typically SAR 15,000–30,000 total, versus SAR 80,000–150,000 via direct registration in each.

When the Protocol Does Not Work

If you want protection in a non-member country, direct registration is the only option. Some major countries like Canada (joined late), and several African states.

If your activity is in only one country, direct registration may be faster and simpler.