In our June 1994 Newsletter (N.S. 183) we advised that the U.S. State Department issued a statement last May indicating that the United States has decided against joining the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks in its present form.

Although the United States addressed the issue of primary concern, namely, the extension of voting rights in the Madrid Union to intergovernmental organizations, most notably to the European Union, at last month's Diplomatic Conference for the Conclusion of the Trademark Law Treaty (discussed in a separate article in this Information Letter), the draft text of which contained similar voting provisions, it is unclear whether or how the resolution of that issue at the Diplomatic Conference may affect the negotiations concerning the Madrid Protocol.

Meanwhile, we have been advised that the Clinton Administration continues to support the substance of the Madrid Protocol and the implementing legislation now before Congress, where the House bill has recently been approved by an influential subcommittee, subject to resolution of the voting rights issue.

We are continuing to monitor the situation and we shall keep our clients advised of developments.

Editor's note: See the update on this discussion in our June 2000 Newsletter (N.S. 192).