Indonesia began formally accepting Madrid applications and designations on 2 January 2018. As a result, non-Indonesian applicants can for the first time file their trademark applications directly with the Indonesian Trademark Office through the Madrid System. Januar Jahja & Partners’ Foreign IP Consultant Andrew Diamond recently wrote a guest blog post about the progress so far with Madrid applications in Indonesia for Class 46, a blog hosted by MARQUES, the European trademark association.

In the blog post, Andrew notes that as of 4 May 2018, 371 international applications have included designations of Indonesia. The designations have been subsequently published by the Indonesian Trademark Office for opposition purposes, which can be accessed here (link: http://www.dgip.go.id/berita-resmi-merek-protokol-madrid-tahun-2018). Under the current Indonesian Trademark Law of 2016, these applications are published almost immediately upon receipt for a two-month opposition. Following the publication period, they then undergo substantive examination and assuming no issues, they will proceed to registration.

Noting that while “Indonesia is [t]he largest trade mark jurisdiction by volume in southeast Asia, …only about 5% [of all trademark applications] are filed by non-Indonesian entities. Madrid is thus an excellent opportunity for international brand owners who are active in the Indonesian market.” Likewise, “accession to the Madrid Protocol also provides Indonesian entities with the opportunity to use the system to file outside of Indonesia.”

To read the complete blog post, it can be accessed here (link: https://www.marques.org/class46/?XID=BHA4633 ).