Increased Branding Opportunities in the Americas
Mexico joined the United States and Colombia as the first countries in the Americas to adopt the Madrid Protocol, allowing far greater flexibility for trademark protection. More Latin American countries are expected to follow. If your company needs brand protection in Latin America or other global markets, you should strongly consider filing a Madrid Protocol application that will reduce costs and time in obtaining trademark registrations.
Design Protection Expands In Asia
Taiwan recently approved the use of dashed lines in design patent drawings, joining industrial giants South Korea and Japan, and thus vastly extending design patent protection. Use of dashed lines in design patent drawings can significantly expand the protection a design patent confers. China remains a hold-out in Asia in declining to allow the use of dashed lines. Companies should leverage the ever-expanding scope of design patent protection by focusing on specific design elements through the use of dashed lines.