KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — The Trademarks Act 2019 which was passed by Parliament in July, allowed the nation to join the Madrid Protocol to enable local entrepreneurs to register their product brands in 122 countries.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said through the Act that will come into force on December 27, entrepreneurs would only need to fill a single application with the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) to register their local brands in the countries participating in the Protocol.

“Prior to this, our entrepreneurs need to register their brands through overseas agents to expand the scope of brand protection. And now by joining the Madrid Protocol, it (registration) can be done quickly.

“The speed is important as it would help to improve the nation’s performance in terms of ease of doing businesses, which is very much needed in today’s modern and challenging business world,” he told reporters after launching the International Trademark Association (INTA) 2019 Asia Conference: ‘Brands in Changing Times’ here today.

Starting December 27, local brand owners in Malaysia can begin using the Madrid System to protect their brands in the 122 countries, among others the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. Malaysia is the 106th member of the Madrid System.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution said the conference was a platform to the countries that wanted to learn best practices of intellectual property issues through presentations from various countries.

Besides, he added the conference would also enable the ministry and MyIPO to understand future issues such as counterfeit goods, enforcement, and innovation.

“The innovation issue is important as the INTA study shows that it contributes significantly to the gross domestic product (GDP), and job opportunities, which should be given direct focus,” he said.

The Trademark Act would enable Malaysia to fulfill its obligations in the Madrid Protocol (agreement concerning the international registration of marks) and be entitled to receive the concomitant benefits.

The Madrid Protocol is a treaty administered by the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), that would facilitate local businesses to grow overseas. — Bernama