(Madrid Agreement); 2. Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement (Madrid Protocol), (Together Known As the Madrid System); and 3
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APPENDICES 1. Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks 1981 (Madrid Agreement); 2. Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement (Madrid Protocol), (together known as the Madrid System); and 3. Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property Schedule of Submissions on the three Madrid System Oral Submissions Date Time Submitters Monday, 8th June 10.40am Siwatibau & Sloan Barristers & Solicitors 2020 Tuesday, 9th June, 9.33am Munro Leys Lawyers 2020 Monday, 15th June, 11.28am Joint Submissions - Office of the Solicitor-General and the Fiji 2020 Intellectual Property Office 10.48am Sherani & Co. Monday, 22nd June, 11.29am Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2020 1.12pm Fiji Performing Rights Association Limited Tuesday 11th August 10.00am Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand 2020 Written Submissions 16th June, 2020 Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport Summary of Submissions Summary of Submissions - Pros and Cons of Acceding to the Madrid System Aminiasi Vulaono - Siwatibau & Fiji Intellectual Property Main Subject Jon Apted - Munro Leys Fiji Performing Rights Association (FPRA) Sherani & Co. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport Sloans Office Pros *Accession to the Madrid System *These treaties favour foreign •Madrid System provides a The Convention also provides for "Moral Rights2", that is, the right to claim * The Madrid Protocol is the more cost-effective avenue for *The Madrid System makes it possible to protect a mark *The Madrid System is a convenient and cost-effective solution will benefit international brand Intellectual Property (IP) owners mechanism for a single and authorship of the work and the right to object to any mutilation, deformation or gaining international trademark protection, as compared in a large number of countries by obtaining an for registering and managing trademarks worldwide. File a to the country-by-country under the Paris Convention. owners who wish to register trade- who wants to register their IP in Fiji international registration of other modification of, or other international registration that has effect in each of the single application and pay one set of fees to apply for designated contracting Parties (Parties to the Madrid protection in up to 122 countries. Modify, renew or expand your marks in Fiji. With increased as oppose to local IP owners who trademarks. nationals of any derogatory action in relation to, the work that would be prejudicial to the Union). This creates an easy user friendly system, global trademark portfolio through one centralised system. globalisation, multi-national may wish to register abroad. signatory may secure author's honour or reputation. *Being in the Public Domain leaves it open to recognized and enforceable worldwide, without the *The Madrid System for international registration of marks has businesses who export goods to * protection of their trademark, use, and possible abuse, by anybody in the world with consequent loss of necessity of instructing lawyers in every country. advantages for the trademark owners, national economies and Governments, as well as for professionals, like agents and many different countries in the registered in the country of meaning, relevance, value and national pride to Fiji and its peoples. However, * For Fiji, we are now facilitating our ratification of both attorney in the field of trademarks. the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial world want IP protection in each origin, in all other states that we have a choice...temporarily at least, by extending the Duration of Copyright *The Madrid System allows companies and individuals to obtain Property, and the Madrid System and as such, this is a country and the Madrid System are parties to the Agreement. retroactively to Life + 100 years. *Fiji has NOT incorporated these 2 Treaties and maintain protection for their marks in an ever-increasing well-placed strategy for ensuring the full protection of gives them the benefit of doing so * Eliminates the need to file (WCT & WPPT) into the Fiji Copyright Act 1999, resulting in widespread blatant number of countries by means of a simple and economical intellectual property. * The Agreement is key to with ease. separate applications in abuse and piracy of Copyright Owners' musical works over the Internet and procedure. counter unfair trading practices such as in situations *International registration has several advantages for the owner multiple countries. other digital domains. This must be curbed as a matter of priority as it has other where foreign industries replicates and manufacture of the trademark. After registering the basic trademark, or filing * Provides protection for profound implications globally => our Government may be accused of not local patents without consent, thus limiting Fiji’s trade an application for registration, with the Office of origin, the intellectual property relating honouring its bilateral Agreements including the Bernes Convention, WIPO potential, revenue thus denying employment to our owner has to only file one international application, in one nationals *The to industrial property, such as Membership and the TRIPS Agreement (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual language, and pay one fee, in one currency. Agreement safeguards our infant industries and local *The Fijian Government has a strong focus on nurturing and patents, industrial designs, Property Rights), which may result in its uspension as a member nation of the designers in light of the substantial demand for trade growing the MSMEs. Therefore, Fiji being party to the Madrid utility models, service marks, World Trade Organization (WTO). *There is an urgent and critical need for the under the IT platform or ecommerce. It provides the System will provide impetus for MSMEs to actively protect their trade names, geographical protection of IPR in Traditional Knowledge such as Art (e.g. Tapa design), Craft assurance to local practitioners that their patents are trademarks internationally. indications (e.g. Canoe building), Navigation (ocean voyages),Traditional Biological covered, and business protected. Fiji has the authority to *The Madrid System can also benefit the national/regional liaise with other contracting Parties in case of any economy and the Government’s finances, in particular. The *Operational budget for the Knowledge (e.g. Herbal medicines), Dances (Meke), Chants (e.g. Vakalutuivoce, contravention. * In overall volume of work for local trademark agents is expected to Madrid System is minimal and Vakavunigasau), Games (e.g. Veitiqa), Legends (e.g. Fire-walkers of Beqa), Story- ratifying the Madrid System, Fiji will join more than 100 increase by accession to the Madrid System. will be sourced from within telling (I Tukuni), amongst others. countries who represent more than 80% of world trade, *The Madrid System will also support Fiji’s exports to the extent FIPO’s national budgetary with potential for expansion as membership grows. This that it simplifies protecting trademarks abroad. Furthermore, it allows individuals and companies established in other allocation is another opportunity that Fiji may wish to explore through its subscription to these Agreements. Contracting Parties of the Madrid System to have easier access to *No loss of revenue for the the protection of their marks in the country/regional territory, Fijian Government since they can seek protection of the mark in any of the * No loss of jobs for the Fijian applicable Contracting Parties by merely designating these in the international application, or in a subsequent designation. people Summary of Submissions - Pros and Cons of Acceding to the Madrid System Aminiasi Vulaono - Siwatibau & Fiji Intellectual Property Main Subject Jon Apted - Munro Leys Fiji Performing Rights Association (FPRA) Sherani & Co. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport Sloans Office Cons *Accession is unlikely to benefit *The application and registration The Trademark registries in Fiji, are not computerized so *The MSMEs sector of developing countries is not Fijian brand owners as they (with a system in Fiji including its records searches are still conducted manually. At the moment it financially strong to afford the fees for the international takes between 10 months – several years for a mark to be few exceptions) have little are all done and kept manually. Our registered and this does not reflect well on our country, registration of marks via Madrid Protocol. incentive to register in multiple registry is greatly under resourced. the registry and the systems currently in place, needs to *The international trademark remains dependent of the jurisdictions. It may disadvantage *Costly to maintain a registration improve before we consider ratifying international base country trademark for five years since the local businesses as it gives system that complies with the treaties where the mechanisms would be to the international filing date. If during the first five years, the international standard. *One of international businesses an easy treaties. *Costly to train the drawbacks of the Madrid Protocol however, is that by base country trademark is rejected, removed, cancelled way to claim exclusive rights to highly qualified human resources virtue of one international registration serving as the or limited, the international trademark will be cancelled. common words and images in Fiji that will manage and operate the basis of the applicant’s protection