The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced that Türkiye has withdrawn its declaration under Article 14(5) of the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (“Madrid Protocol”). The withdrawal became effective on 18 October 2019.
Under Article 14(5) of the Madrid Protocol, contracting parties may declare that international registrations effected before the date on which the Protocol entered into force for that country cannot be subsequently designated in respect of that contracting party. Türkiye had previously made such a declaration when joining the Madrid Protocol.
As a result of the withdrawal, Türkiye may now be designated subsequently in respect of any international registration, including international registrations recorded before 1 January 1999, which is the date on which the Madrid Protocol entered into force for Türkiye.
The development is considered important for international trademark owners seeking broader geographical protection through the Madrid System. Trademark holders with older international registrations that previously could not designate Türkiye through subsequent designation procedures are now able to extend protection to Türkiye without filing a new international application.
The change is expected to provide greater flexibility and efficiency for international trademark portfolio management and further enhance Türkiye’s integration within the international trademark registration system administered by WIPO.
The official WIPO notification regarding the withdrawal is available at WIPO Madrid Notification No. 59 of 2019 .