On 27 September 2019, Malaysia deposited with WIPO its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol, becoming the 106th member of the Madrid System.

The Protocol will take effect for the country on 27 December 2019. From that date, local brand owners in Malaysia can begin making use of the international registration system to protect their trademarks in over 120 territories of the System’s other 105 (currently) members by filing a single international application and paying a single set of fees.

Likewise, foreign trademark owners can take advantage of the System’s simple designation process to seek protection here.

Malaysia has made declarations to extend the refusal period to 18 months, to receive individual fees, to require a declaration of intention to use the mark and to mandate that the recording of licenses in the International Register shall have no effect in Malaysia unless recorded here.

Stay tuned for more updates from us as we close the year 2019.