The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has confirmed that, from 1 October 2026, new Madrid international trade mark applications filed with the United States as office of origin have moved from the TEASi system to Madrid e-Filing, the platform of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). New applications can no longer be filed through TEASi, and applicants need a WIPO Account to use the platform. The USPTO's index of forms was updated on 1 October and now states that the international application is no longer in TEASi. The switch was not announced for the first time on 1 October: the USPTO announced it on 15 July, both systems ran in parallel from 31 July to 30 September, and 1 October is the date on which the change took full effect.
Payment changes accordingly: when filing through Madrid e-Filing, the international application fees and the United States certification fee are paid directly to WIPO in Swiss francs, instead of to the USPTO in dollars, while the fee amounts themselves stay the same. Applicants can receive and answer irregularity notices issued by WIPO within the platform and communicate with the USPTO about corrections during certification.
A distinction must be made: international applications already filed through TEASi before 1 October must still be completed in TEASi and cannot switch systems midway, and subsequent designations may be filed either directly with the International Bureau of WIPO or, as before, through TEASi. Madrid e-Filing is operated by WIPO and is already used by the offices of more than 40 countries and regions. The change directly affects United States trade mark applicants, United States representatives and rights holders who expand worldwide from a United States basic application.
J&C recommends that applicants and representatives who build global portfolios on a United States application or registration adjust their procedures now: create the WIPO Account in advance and, as the USPTO advises, use the same e-mail address for the account, the Madrid e-Filing application and the international registrations managed; budget and pay in Swiss francs, allowing time for conversion and payment; do not wait until the last day of a priority period to use the new platform for the first time; and finish in TEASi any case filed there before 1 October.
Source: www.uspto.gov | www.uspto.gov | www.uspto.gov | www.wipo.int
