The Madrid Protocol explained: one filing, many countries
Short answer: it is a single application, filed through your home registry, that lets you designate multiple countries and pay one set of central fees instead of instructing agents everywhere. Madrid filings from £1,250 plus official fees at cost.
You need a basic mark first
An international registration must be based on an existing application or registration in your home office, in your case the UKIPO. The international mark cannot be broader than that basic mark, which is why the specification drafted at UK filing stage quietly determines your international options later.
Central attack: the five year risk
For five years the international registration depends on the basic mark. If the basic mark falls away in that period, the international registration falls with it for every designated country. Transformation into national applications is possible but expensive, so the practical answer is to make sure the basic mark is solid before building on it.
Where Madrid is the wrong tool
Not every country is a member, and some members are notoriously difficult to prosecute without local counsel, so a mixed strategy of Madrid designations plus direct national filings is often cheaper overall. That choice should be made before filing, not after the refusals arrive.
What it costs
Our professional fee starts at £1,250 with official fees, which vary by country and class, payable at cost with no markup. Country selection is a commercial decision about where you actually trade or intend to, not a shopping list.
Fixed fee agreed in writing before any work begins, written reply within 24 hours, handled entirely in writing. Send your enquiry or WhatsApp +44 7822 014 066.