ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has formally joined the Madrid System to protect Pakistani trademarks in 124 member countries.

According to the report, this will make it easier and more effective for Pakistani brand owners to gain protection in export markets.

With the accession to the Madrid Protocol, Pakistan’s trademark holders will be able to protect their trademarks in member countries by submitting an application to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to facilitate doing business.

According to an official statement from the WIPO, on February 24, Pakistan submitted an instrument to the Director-General of the WIPO to join the Madrid Protocol, making it the 108th member of the Madrid system.

Khalil-ur-Rehman Hashmi, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, submitted an instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol to Darren Tang, Director-General of the WIPO in Geneva.

Effective May 24, local brand owners in Pakistan can start using the Madrid System to protect their trademarks in 123 areas of the other 107 members of the system by submitting an international application and paying the same fee.

Darren Tang said in a video message on the occasion of assembling the affiliate instrument that it would be easier and cheaper for Pakistani brands like spice maker Shaun Foods or fashion house Khadi to get protection in the export markets.

He said that small and medium enterprises in Pakistan would benefit from Madrid’s easy registration system as well as cricket stars or other Pakistani personalities whose personal brand is known all over the world.

He said the Madrid system would make it easier for those interested in bringing their brands to a larger market of over 200 million, as is the case for other members of Madrid.

The DGW IPO said that with the accession to Madrid, Pakistan has taken an important step in further strengthening its IP ecosystem with the support of its brand owners, business people and businesses.