The Madrid Protocol is an international treaty that allows trademark holders to seek protection in multiple countries through a single application filed with WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization). Signa fully models the Madrid System, including international registrations, designations, coverage status, and Madrid-specific deadlines.
How the Madrid System Works
- Filing: The applicant files an international application through their home office (the “office of origin”)
- WIPO registration: WIPO registers the mark in the International Register and publishes it in the Madrid Gazette
- Designation: The applicant designates one or more member countries where they want protection
- National examination: Each designated office examines the mark under its own law
- Protection or refusal: Each office independently grants or refuses protection
Data Model
The WIPO connector produces designation records only — one per designated country. There are no separate IR (international registration) parent records from this connector.
Designation
A separate record for each country where protection is sought. Each designation is an independent trademark that can have its own status, deadlines, and events.
| Field | Value |
|---|
filing_route | madrid_designation |
office_code | wipo (always — all WIPO records use the WIPO office code) |
jurisdiction_code | The designated country (e.g., GB, DE) — tracks where protection is sought |
scope_kind | international_registration |
ir_number | The WIPO registration number (links all designations from the same IR) |
Designations are modeled as separate trademark records, not sub-resources of the IR. This reflects reality: each designated office makes independent decisions about examination, opposition, and renewal. A mark can be protected in one country and refused in another.
Querying Madrid Marks
Find All Madrid Marks
# All Madrid designations
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks?filing_route[]=madrid_designation" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_live_xxx"
Find by IR Number
The ir_number is globally unique and does not require an office parameter:
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks?ir_number=1234567" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_live_xxx"
Coverage Territories
For a Madrid mark, the coverage endpoint lists all designated territories and their protection status:
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks/tm_abc123/coverage" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_live_xxx"
| Status | Meaning |
|---|
designated | Designation filed, examination pending |
provisionally_refused | Office issued a provisional refusal |
finally_refused | Protection definitively refused |
protected | Protection granted |
withdrawn | Designation withdrawn by the holder |
renounced | Holder renounced protection in this territory |
ceased | Protection ceased (e.g., central attack) |
invalidated | Protection invalidated |
limited | Goods/services limited in this territory |
expired | Protection expired (not renewed) |
Filter by Territory
Find marks with coverage in a specific country:
# All marks with Madrid coverage in the UK
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks?coverage_territory=gb&coverage_status=protected" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_live_xxx"
Madrid-Specific Dates
Madrid marks carry additional date fields beyond the standard trademark dates:
| Field | Description |
|---|
designation_date | When the designation was filed at WIPO |
protection_effective_date | When protection was granted in the designated territory (declared but not yet populated — planned) |
dependency_period_end_date and transformation_deadline_date are not currently implemented. The dependency period (5 years from IR date) and transformation deadline (3 months after central attack) can be derived from the intl_registration_date when needed. These computed fields may be added in a future release.
The Dependency Period
For the first 5 years after international registration, a Madrid mark depends on its base application/registration at the office of origin. If the base mark is cancelled, refused, or surrendered during this period (a “central attack”), the international registration can be cancelled for all designated territories.
If an international registration is cancelled due to a central attack, the holder can “transform” each designation into an independent national application within 3 months.
Madrid-Specific Deadlines
The deadline engine handles Madrid marks differently from domestic marks. Key differences:
| Aspect | Domestic | Madrid |
|---|
| Renewal | Filed at the national office | Filed at WIPO (centralized) |
| US proof of use | Section 8 (domestic) | Section 71 (Madrid equivalent) |
| Trigger date | Varies by jurisdiction | protection_grant_date (US), intl_registration_date (WIPO) |
WIPO Renewal
International registrations are renewed centrally at WIPO every 10 years from the international registration date. This covers all designated territories at once.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Type | international_renewal |
| Trigger | intl_registration_date |
| Cycle | Every 10 years |
| Consequence | lapse_of_international_registration |
Relationships
The /v1/trademarks/{id}/related endpoint shows how Madrid marks are connected:
| Relationship Type | Meaning |
|---|
madrid_designation_of | This designation belongs to an IR |
based_on_basic_application | The IR is based on this national application |
based_on_basic_registration | The IR is based on this national registration |
transformed_from | This national mark was transformed from a cancelled IR designation |
replaces_under_4bis | Replacement under Madrid Protocol Article 4bis |
curl -s "https://api.signa.so/v1/trademarks/tm_abc123/related" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer sig_live_xxx"
WIPO Data Sources
Signa ingests WIPO data from multiple sources:
| Source | Type | Frequency | Status | Coverage |
|---|
| FTP country notifications | Primary | Weekly per country | Live | 122 FTP directories, 107 with data |
| Romarin daily updates | Backfill | Daily | Planned | All IRs |
| Madrid Monitor API | On-demand | Per-mark lookup | Live | Individual records |
