The Madrid system for the international registration of marks (established in 1891) functions under the Madrid Agreement and Madrid Protocol (1989). It is administered by the International Bureau of WIPO located in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Madrid system allows a trademark owner to protect a single trademark in several countries by filing one application directly with his own national or regional trademark office. An international mark so registered is equivalent to an application or registration of the same mark effected directly in each of the countries designated by the applicant.
If the trademark office of a designated country does not refuse protection within a specified period, the protection of the mark is the same as if it had been registered by that Office. The Madrid system also simplifies management of the mark since it is possible to record subsequent changes or renew registration through one procedural step.