On July 16, 2013, the Tunisian Government submitted to the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) its request to join the Protocol relating to the Madrid Agreement concerning the International Registration of Marks (known as the “Madrid Protocol”).
The Madrid Protocol became effective with respect to Tunisia on October 16, 2013.
This accession contract contains the following declarations:
- the time limit of one year to notify a refusal of protection is replaced by 18 months and a refusal resulting from an opposition can be notified after the expiry of the 18-month time limit, and
- Tunisia wants to receive an individual fee instead of a share in the revenue produced by the supplementary and complementary fees concerning either an international registration or a renewal registration.
This new accession favors trademarks holders who might include Tunisia when depositing an international mark or extending existing international registrations to Tunisia.