International Trademark Costs: What Australians Pay for Madrid Protocol Filings

Expanding your trademark protection beyond Australia's borders is one of the smartest moves a growing business can make — but it's also one of the most misunderstood in terms of cost. The Madrid Protocol, which Australia has been a party to since 2001, offers a streamlined pathway for registering trademarks in multiple countries through a single application. Yet the actual costs involved can be surprisingly complex, with layers of fees that catch many Australian applicants off guard.

This guide breaks down exactly what Australians can expect to pay when filing internationally through the Madrid System, from the base fees charged by IP Australia and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) through to the individual country designation fees and professional costs that round out the total investment. See our government fees explainer for a deeper analysis.

How the Madrid Protocol Works for Australian Applicants

Before diving into the numbers, it helps to understand the mechanics. The Madrid Protocol allows trademark owners to file a single international application through their home intellectual property office — in Australia's case, IP Australia — and designate protection in any of the 130+ member countries. Rather than filing separate applications in each country with local attorneys, you lodge one application in one language with one set of fees.

Your existing Australian trademark application or registration serves as the "base mark." IP Australia certifies and forwards your international application to WIPO's International Bureau in Geneva, which then notifies each designated country. Those countries then examine the mark under their own laws and either grant or refuse protection.

It's elegant in theory. In practice, the costs stack up in ways that require careful planning.

The Fee Structure: Three Layers of Cost

International trademark costs under the Madrid Protocol fall into three distinct categories, each payable at different stages and to different bodies.

1. IP Australia's Handling Fee

IP Australia charges a handling fee for processing and certifying your international application. As of the current fee schedule, this fee is AUD $400 per application. This is a flat fee regardless of how many countries you designate or how many classes of goods and services your mark covers. We cover this further in our fixed-fee pricing guide.

This fee is payable to IP Australia at the time of filing and is non-refundable, even if WIPO later identifies irregularities in the application.

2. WIPO's International Fees

WIPO charges its own set of fees, denominated in Swiss francs (CHF), which comprises:

• Basic fee: CHF 653 for a mark in standard characters or CHF 903 for a mark that includes a colour reproduction. If the applicant is from a Least Developed Country (LDC), a reduced basic fee applies — though this doesn't affect Australian applicants.
• Supplementary fee: CHF 100 per class of goods or services beyond the first class, but only when designating countries that haven't declared individual fees.
• Complementary fee: CHF 100 per designated country that hasn't declared individual fees.

In practice, most of the countries Australian businesses want to protect their marks in — including the United States, the European Union, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Singapore — have declared individual designation fees, which replaces the supplementary and complementary fees for those countries.

3. Individual Designation Fees

This is where costs escalate significantly. Each designated country that has declared individual fees sets its own price, and these vary enormously. The individual designation fee is intended to be equivalent to what that country would charge for a national filing.

Here are the approximate individual designation fees (in CHF) for countries commonly designated by Australian businesses, based on WIPO's published schedule for a single-class application:

*Approximate conversions at AUD $1.65 per CHF. Exchange rates fluctuate and should be verified at the time of filing.

For multi-class applications, most countries charge additional fees per class. The EU, for example, includes up to three classes in its base fee, making it relatively cost-effective for businesses with broad trademark coverage. The United States charges an additional fee per class, and some countries like Japan have notably higher per-class charges.

Putting It Together: Sample Cost Scenarios

Scenario 1: Single class, three countries (US, UK, China)

Scenario 2: Two classes, five countries (US, EU, UK, Japan, Singapore)

These figures represent official fees only. Professional costs sit on top.

Professional and Legal Costs

While the Madrid Protocol allows you to file without engaging local attorneys in every designated country, professional assistance at the Australian end is strongly recommended — and local representation becomes necessary if any designated country raises an objection or issues a provisional refusal.

Australian Attorney Fees

Most Australian trademark attorneys charge between AUD $1,500 and $4,000 for preparing and filing a Madrid Protocol application, depending on complexity. This typically covers:

• Reviewing the base Australian mark for suitability
• Advising on country selection and class strategy
• Preparing the international application
• Coordinating with IP Australia
• Reviewing WIPO's notification of the international registration

More complex filings — those involving multiple classes, non-standard marks, or strategic considerations across many jurisdictions — can push professional fees toward the higher end of this range or beyond.

Responding to Provisional Refusals

When a designated country's trademark office examines your international registration and finds grounds for refusal, they issue a provisional refusal. Responding to these typically requires engaging a local trademark attorney in that jurisdiction, and costs vary widely:

• United States: USD $1,500–$3,500 for a response to an office action
• European Union: EUR $1,000–$2,500 for responding to an EUIPO objection
• China: USD $500–$1,500 for a straightforward response
• Japan: USD $1,500–$3,000 depending on the grounds of refusal

These are rough ranges and depend heavily on the nature of the refusal. A simple classification issue might cost a few hundred dollars to resolve, while a substantive refusal based on a conflicting prior mark could require extensive argument or evidence and cost several thousand.

Hidden Costs and Ongoing Obligations

Currency Risk

Because WIPO fees are denominated in Swiss francs, the total cost in Australian dollars fluctuates with exchange rates. The Swiss franc has historically been a strong currency, and unfavourable movements can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to a multi-country filing. Some Australian businesses choose to use forward contracts or simply build a currency buffer into their trademark budgets. This is explored further in our trademark cost guide.

Dependency on the Base Mark

One of the most important — and potentially costly — features of the Madrid System is the "central attack" vulnerability. For the first five years after international registration, your international mark depends on the survival of the base Australian mark. If the Australian registration is cancelled, revoked, or restricted during this period, the international registration falls with it.

This means that any challenge to your Australian mark during those five years could unravel your entire international trademark portfolio. While dependent international registrations can be "transformed" into individual national applications in each designated country, doing so incurs a new set of national filing fees and local attorney costs, effectively negating much of the savings the Madrid Protocol offered.

Renewal Costs

International registrations under the Madrid Protocol last for 10 years and are renewable directly through WIPO. The renewal fee is currently CHF 653 (basic fee) plus individual designation fees for each country. You don't need to renew through each country separately — another advantage of the system — but the total renewal cost can still be substantial if you've designated many countries.

Subsequent Designations

One advantage of the Madrid System is the ability to add countries after the initial filing through "subsequent designations." This allows businesses to expand their trademark coverage as they enter new markets without filing a new international application. The cost is the individual designation fee for each new country plus a WIPO handling fee of CHF 300.

Madrid Protocol vs. Direct National Filings: Cost Comparison

The Madrid Protocol isn't always cheaper than filing directly in individual countries. For a small number of designations — typically one or two countries — filing directly through local attorneys may be comparable in cost and offers the advantage of independence from the base mark.

However, for three or more countries, the Madrid Protocol generally offers meaningful savings. A direct filing in the United States alone typically costs AUD $3,000–$5,000 when you factor in local attorney fees, USPTO filing fees, and coordination costs. Through the Madrid Protocol, the US designation portion of the filing might cost under AUD $1,500 in official fees, with Australian attorney time shared across all designations.

The break-even point depends on the specific countries involved and the complexity of the mark, but as a general rule:

• 1–2 countries: Direct filing may be equally cost-effective
• 3–5 countries: Madrid Protocol typically offers 20–40% savings
• 6+ countries: Madrid Protocol almost always delivers significant savings

Strategic Tips for Managing International Trademark Costs

Prioritise your markets. Not every country needs protection on day one. Focus on countries where you're actively trading, have concrete expansion plans, or face a high risk of third-party squatting (China being the classic example).

Get your Australian mark right first. Because the international registration depends on the base mark, invest in a thorough clearance search and solid Australian application before going international. Fixing problems after filing internationally is far more expensive than getting it right upfront.

Consider class strategy carefully. Each additional class multiplies costs across every designated country. Be strategic about which goods and services you protect and where. You may not need the same class coverage in every market.

Budget for provisional refusals. They're more common than many applicants expect, particularly in the United States, Japan, and China. Building a contingency fund of AUD $2,000–$5,000 for responding to refusals is prudent.

Watch the exchange rate. If the Australian dollar is trading favourably against the Swiss franc, it might be worth accelerating your filing timeline to lock in lower costs. See our tips for reducing registration costs for a deeper analysis.

The Bottom Line

For a typical Australian small-to-medium business seeking trademark protection in three to five key international markets across one or two classes, the total cost — including official fees, Australian professional fees, and a modest contingency for provisional refusals — generally falls in the range of AUD $8,000 to $18,000. Larger filings covering more countries or more classes can easily exceed $25,000.

These are significant sums, but they represent a fraction of the cost of responding to infringement, rebranding after a dispute, or trying to recover a mark that's been squatted in a key export market. International trademark protection is an investment in the security and scalability of your brand — and the Madrid Protocol remains the most cost-efficient pathway for Australian businesses looking to protect their marks across borders. This is explored further in our guide to dispute costs.

The key is approaching it with clear commercial priorities, realistic budgeting, and qualified professional guidance. Done right, a Madrid Protocol filing gives Australian businesses enforceable trademark rights across the globe through a single, manageable process.