The Trademark Law Treaty, which aims to achieve uniformity in certain administrative trademark procedures, was signed at the Diplomatic Conference in Geneva on October 28, 1994, by thirty-five countries, including the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and five other European Union member states. The Treaty will enter into force three months after the date on which the Treaty is ratified by a minimum of five countries.

The principal features of trademark practice which the Treaty seeks to harmonize include the following:


The United States, which had earlier indicated that it may not sign the Treaty due to the proposed extension of voting rights to intergovernmental organizations, most notably to the European Union, was able to reach a compromise on this issue at the Diplomatic Conference.