On September 25, 2018, the Government of Malawi deposited with WIPO its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol.
It contained:
- the declaration extending the refusal period to 18 months and making it possible to notify refusals based on opposition after the expiry of that period (Article 5(2)(b) and (c) of the Madrid Protocol);
- the notification indicating that Malawi requires a declaration of intention to use the mark when Malawi is designated in an international application or a subsequent designation (Rule 7(2) of the Common Regulations under the Madrid Agreement and the Madrid Protocol);
- the notification indicating that the recording of licenses in the International Register shall have no effect in Malawi (Rule 20bis(6)(b) of the Common Regulations under the Madrid Agreement and the Madrid Protocol). Consequently, a license relating to an international registration shall be recorded in the national Register of the Office of Malawi in order to have effect in that Contracting Party.
The Madrid Protocol, this declaration and these notifications will enter into force, with respect to Malawi, on December 25, 2018.
The accession to the Madrid Protocol by Malawi brings the number of Contracting Parties of the Madrid Protocol to 102. A list of the members of the Madrid Union, with information on the dates on which these members became party to the Madrid Agreement or the Madrid Protocol, is available HERE.
Source: WIPO
