Vol. 510 No. 2
62 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment further to Parliamentary Question No. 118 of 30 June 1998, the progress, if any, made in relation to the ratification of the Madrid Protocol on the registration of international trademarks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22024/99]
As mentioned in my reply of 30 June 1998, the Trade Marks Act, 1996, made legislative provision for the ratification of the Madrid Protocol. Ratification will require detailed implementing regulations. Work on these regulations, which involves significant technical and legal considerations, has been undertaken by the intellectual property unit of my Department.
The legislative provisions for the implementation of the protocol have been drafted in consultation with the Attorney General's office and circulated to interested parties for observations. A copy of the draft regulations will be made available to the Deputy.
I fully appreciate the desirability of ratifying the Madrid Protocol at the earliest possible date. It had been hoped to ratify the protocol during 1999 but the administrative facilities to deal with Madrid Protocol applications in the Patents Office have not yet been resolved. This matter is currently being addressed by the Patents Office and by the information technology unit of my Department with a view to the ratification of the Madrid Protocol by Ireland early in the new year.
