Why is it important to register a trademark internationally?

A: It is said that the world is getting smaller every day. This cannot be more evident than in the worlds of business and technology. With today's technological advances we can communicate with people halfway across the world in an instant and it is only natural that business professionals and entrepreneurs have taken advantage of this. In this world, a business that functions internationally is quickly becoming the norm.

Why register a trademark internationally? 

Registering a trademark internationally is important because being an international business is important, and being an internationally-known business is even more so. Every business school in the world will tell you to expand your market and expanding it worldwide is the absolute best you can do.

Registering a trademark internationally has only gotten easier in recent years. Since the Madrid Protocol in 2003, 75 countries have been a part of an easy to use system of multi-national trademarks. After registering your trademark nationally with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) you need only fill out one form to register with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The greatest benefits of registration through WIPO are simplicity and low cost.  

• Simplicity: One application applies to 75 countries. This is far simpler than filling out applications for each country individually. The registered trademark will then only have one registration number and one renewal time, every 10 years.
• Low cost: Again this is only one application, meaning only one application fee.  

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