The Madrid Protocol is the international treaty that lets trademark owners register their mark in multiple countries through a single application. If you have a US trademark and want protection in the EU, UK, Japan, or 130+ other countries — the Madrid system is how you do it.
Monitoring those international filings is a separate challenge from monitoring your US mark. Here's how the system works and what to watch.
What the Madrid Protocol actually is
Filed through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a Madrid Protocol application lets you extend your existing national trademark into member countries through a single filing. Instead of filing separately in each country (with separate attorneys, fees, and procedures), you file one international application with WIPO and designate the countries where you want protection.
Key facts:
- 130+ countries covered (116 treaty members, some representing multiple territories), including the US, EU, UK, China, Japan, Australia, Canada, India
- Your home country trademark (the "basic mark") must exist first — you extend it internationally
- WIPO reviews the application for formalities, then sends it to each designated country for examination under their national rules
- Each country can accept or refuse the designation independently
- The international registration is tied to your basic mark for 5 years — if your home mark is cancelled in that window, the international registrations fall too
What "Madrid monitor" means
Monitoring a Madrid Protocol filing means tracking the status of your international registration across all designated countries. Unlike a single US application where you watch one record, a Madrid filing creates separate national designations — each with its own examination status, potential refusals, and renewal dates.
What to monitor:
- Examination status by country: Each designated country examines the mark independently. A refusal in Germany doesn't affect your UK or Japan designations.
- Provisional refusals: A country issues a provisional refusal if their examiner finds a conflict or procedural issue. You typically have a limited time (varies by country, often 3–12 months) to respond through a local attorney.
- Opposition periods: After examination, many countries publish the mark for opposition. Third parties can challenge your designation during this window.
- 10-year renewal: The international registration must be renewed every 10 years at WIPO, covering all active designations. Individual country renewals are handled through WIPO rather than each national office.
- Dependency on the basic mark (5-year rule): If your home country trademark is cancelled, opposed, or limited within 5 years of your international registration date, all international designations can be attacked through a "central attack."
Where to track Madrid Protocol filings
WIPO's Madrid Monitor (madrid.wipo.int/monitor) is the official tool for tracking international trademark registrations. It lets you:
- Search by international registration number, trademark name, or holder name
- View the status of each designated country separately
- See the full history of actions taken on the international registration
- Download the international registration certificate
For the US portion of a Madrid Protocol filing, the USPTO records the designation and examines it under US trademark law. That US examination record — including any office actions, responses, and status changes — appears in the USPTO database and is searchable on Sealvo like any other trademark application.
How US trademarks connect to Madrid filings
Two ways your US trademark intersects with the Madrid system:
Filing out from the US
You have a registered US trademark and want international protection. You file a "request for extension of protection" through the USPTO, which forwards it to WIPO. Your US registration is the basic mark. WIPO issues an international registration number. Each designated country then examines the mark independently.
Incoming designations to the US
A foreign trademark holder uses the Madrid system to extend their mark into the US. The USPTO examines this like a domestic application. If it's published for opposition, any US trademark holder can oppose it during the 30-day window. These incoming filings are visible in the USPTO database with a different filing basis code (Section 66(a)) and are searchable on Sealvo.
What to watch for if you have a US trademark
Even if you haven't filed internationally, Madrid Protocol monitoring is relevant because foreign companies use it to enter the US market. If a foreign brand extends a confusingly similar mark into the US through Madrid, it appears as a pending application in the USPTO database — and you have a 30-day opposition window once it's published.
Practically, this means:
- Regularly search your brand name and phonetic variations on the USPTO database, not just at filing time
- Watch for new pending applications in your class — Section 66(a) filings are Madrid Protocol extensions
- Check the opposition deadline on any published mark that conflicts with yours — you have 30 days from publication to file or request an extension
On Sealvo, each mark detail page shows the filing basis and prosecution history. Section 66(a) marks are Madrid Protocol extensions — the same opposition rules apply as domestic marks, but the underlying registration lives at WIPO.
The 5-year dependency risk
This is the most overlooked risk in the Madrid system. If your US basic mark faces a successful cancellation or opposition in the first 5 years after your international filing date, all of your international designations can be attacked simultaneously — a "central attack."
What this means practically:
- Your international registrations are only as strong as your basic mark for the first 5 years
- A competitor challenging your US registration is also, indirectly, attacking your international portfolio
- After 5 years, the international registrations become independent and can no longer be centrally attacked
Monitor your US basic mark's status closely during those 5 years. Any opposition filed against it during that window is higher stakes than usual.
Search US trademark records including incoming Madrid Protocol designations on Sealvo — free, 15 million records, no account required. For a full guide to trademark status codes, see our trademark status explained guide.