Press Release: Industrial property: EC joins international trademark treaty

The European Community submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva on 21 June 2004 its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol on the international registration of trademarks. It is the first time that the EC as such accedes to a WIPO treaty. This link will allow businesses to benefit from the advantages of the Community Trademark through the Madrid Protocol system and vice-versa, which will simplify procedures, reduce the costs for international protection and make administration easier.