Your name doesn’t stop at the border. Your protection shouldn’t either.
Touring, selling, or licensing abroad means your U.S. registration isn’t enough. I file internationally through the Madrid Protocol or directly with foreign offices, built around where your money actually goes.
Before filing in any country, know what’s already registered there. My $979 international search covers WIPO and the major foreign registers, and it’s the first step of every filing strategy I build.
Order the international searchTwo ways to file abroad. The right one depends on your map.
Madrid Protocol
One application extending your U.S. filing into 100+ member countries. One language, one set of fees, one place to manage it.
The catch: extensions can’t be broader than your U.S. filing, and if the U.S. application fails in its first five years, the extensions fall with it.
Direct National Filings
Individual applications filed with each country’s office, through local counsel where required.
The catch: costs scale per country, and coordination is on your team, which is what I’m for.
What international filing costs.
Attorney strategy & filing — per application
The strategy session on where to file and how, preparation of your Madrid Protocol or direct national application, coordination with local counsel where needed, and monitoring through registration.
Government & foreign fees
WIPO fees, each country’s designation or national fees, and local counsel fees where required are paid in addition to my fee. They differ widely by country.
You’ll see the exact all-in number for your country list before anything is filed. I quote the full map first; you approve it; then we file.
Start your international strategy.
Full costs for your country list are quoted and approved before anything is filed.
Secure, encrypted form — your details are protectedFrom strategy session to international protection.
From strategy session to registered international protection.
Build the Map
Where you tour, sell, license, and manufacture, and which countries actually need protection now versus later.
Clear the Territories
An international search of your target registers, so you’re not filing into a conflict: the $979 search.
Prepare & Quote
I prepare the Madrid or direct applications and give you the complete cost, government fees included, for sign-off.
File & Monitor
I file, coordinate local counsel where needed, and track every application through to registration.
International filing questions, answered.
01What is the Madrid Protocol?
The Madrid Protocol is a treaty among 100+ member countries that lets you extend a U.S. application or registration into other member countries through a single filing, in one language, with one set of fees. It requires a U.S. basic application or registration as the foundation.
02Do I need a US trademark first?
For a Madrid Protocol filing, yes — Madrid requires a U.S. application or registration as the basic application. Direct national filings don't; you can file directly with a foreign country's office whether or not you have a U.S. registration.
03What if a country isn't in the Madrid Protocol?
For countries not part of the Madrid system, we file direct national applications. I coordinate with local foreign counsel in those jurisdictions to secure your rights.
04How much are the government fees?
I quote the full all-in cost for your specific country list before anything is filed. Government and foreign counsel fees vary widely by country and classes, so rather than give you a number that wouldn't be yours, you'll see the exact total for your map first — you approve it, then we file.
05How long does international registration take?
International registration typically takes 12 to 18 months, but can take longer depending on the specific countries chosen and whether any objections are raised by local trademark offices.