'Nepal should adopt the Madrid Protocol'

Kathmandu, July 22: Director general of the Department of Industry Shankar Aryal said that Nepal need to adopt the Madrid Protocol – a one step solution for registering and managing trademarks worldwide – at the earliest.

The Madrid System is a one stop solution for registering and managing marks worldwide. It allows filing one application, in one language, and pay one set of feed to protect the trademark in the territories of up to 98 member countries, says the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

“We should have adopted it earlier since it facilitates the foreign investors to check the situation of the trademarks that they own. But we are initiating the process in the near future,” he said speaking to The Rising Nepal at the ‘Regional Trademark training programme’.

According to him, the Department is updating its infrastructure for the IT automation which will also facilitates in implementing the Madrid System.

Speaking at the training, the experts said that in order to attract the foreign investors Nepal should facilitate them with simplified trademark registering process through the Madrid Protocol.

“Any investors coming to Nepal wants to protect his trademarks here, and through the protocol, it is easier to check the information about it, including the registration process,” said Nancy Omelko, attorney-advisor at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) under the Office of Policy and International Affairs in the US.

She said that the USPTO had planned to support the stakeholders in Nepal in their capacity building.

“The Government of Nepal and other stakeholders wanted us to come here to enhance the capacity of various organisations and professionals,” she said.

Attiya Malik, another attorney-advisor of the USPTO said that the Madrid Protocol was a mechanism for taking the trademark applications to the right office.

However, to implement the Madrid System, the country needs sophisticated IT system which Nepal should develop.

“More than 99 per cent of the work related to trademark and patent registration is electronic in the US, and 65 per cent work is handled by the system without any human interference,” said Malik.

Filmmaker and Executive Committee member of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Akash Adhikari said that as such integrated system of trademark registration facilitate the investors, Nepal should not delay to adopt it.

The training programme was organised by the USPTO.  

More than 35 prticipants from various organisations like the Department of Industry, FNCCI, line ministries, film industry, copyright office and others had attended the two day training.