A record 39,945 international trademark applications were received in 2007 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) under the Madrid system for the international registration of trademarks, representing a 9.5% increase on figures for 2006.  China ranked eighth with 1,444 and China remained the most designated country in international trademark applications reflecting increasing levels of trading activity by foreign companies in China.

The largest share of the 39,945 international trademark applications received by WIPO in 2007 was filed by companies in Germany (6,090 applications or 15.2% of the total).  These were followed by companies in France, which accounted for 3,930 applications or 9.8% of the total.  Users in the USA ranked third with 3,741 or 9.4% of the total. China ranked eighth with 1,444 or 3.6% of the total.

When submitting an international trademark application, applicants must designate those member countries in which they want their mark to be protected. Applicants can also extend the effects of an international registration to other members at a later date by filing a subsequent designation.  In this way, the holder of an international registration can expand the geographical scope of the protection of a mark in line with evolving business needs. For the third consecutive year, China was the most designated country.  With 16,676 designations, it accounted for 4.5% of the total number of new designations and enjoyed a 5.5% increase in such designations over 2006. 

The WIPO-administered Madrid System for the international registration of trademarks offers a trademark owner the possibility of having a mark protected in up to 80 countries by filing one application, in one language (English, French or Spanish), with one set of fees, in one currency (Swiss Francs). The system is governed by two international treaties, namely the Madrid Agreement and the Madrid Protocol.  The grouping of both agreements is referred to as the Madrid system.  The Madrid Protocol which became operational in 1996 introduced several features including the ability to submit applications in English and to extend the period for notification of a refusal. Spanish was introduced as a working language in 2004.  These features made the system more flexible and attractive to a larger number of countries.  The total number of countries party to the Protocol is 75 and the overall current membership of the Madrid system is 82 (81 countries plus the EC).