NL Patent Office

Worldwide

An international trademark offers you protection in a large number of countries throughout the world. It covers those countries that are affiliated with the Madrid Agreement or the Madrid Protocol. You may apply for an international trademark if your product is registered in the Benelux countries.

Over 75 countries are now affiliated with these treaties. You may request protection in all affiliated countries, but you may also opt for a number of these countries. Trademark registration by this method offers you a simple and affordable way in which to protect your trademark internationally.

Registering your trademark
International trademarks are always registered via the agency in the applicant’s country of origin, such as the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP).

Once the BOIP has carried out its checks (the international application must be the same as the Benelux registration, for example), the application is sent to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland, which is responsible for registering the international trademark.