The latest addition to the Madrid System, just announced, is Trinidad and Tobago, also known as Trinidad and Tabago. Interestingly, this Caribbean archipelago has a capital city whose name clearly derives from Spanish: Port of Spain.
As of October 12, 2020, Trinidad and Tobago has become the latest addition to the already long list of countries participating in the international trademark registration system. Specifically, it is the 123rd country.
On that date, October 12, the country's authorities deposited the instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol, which will enter into force on January 12, 2021, provided that the coronavirus pandemic allows everything to be ready by then.
In principle, this is a country where certain legislative matters have already been harmonized. For example, it operates a multi-class registration system and follows the eleventh edition of the Nice Classification. The term of trademark protection is 10 years from the filing date. However, in this regard, this jurisdiction has a unique feature: when trademarks claim priority, the term is calculated from that date rather than from the date of filing of the trademark application in Trinidad and Tobago.
For certain sectors of the economy—such as the hydrocarbons, refining, and petrochemicals sectors, or the steel industry—the Madrid Protocol offers a new option for protecting their trademarks in Trinidad and Tobago.
Author: Cristina Arroyo