The Madrid System lets you file one international application through WIPO and designate multiple member countries. Direct filing means submitting a separate national application at each office. Cost is only one of the differences, and the cheaper route flips depending on scope.
How each route is priced
- Direct filing: each office charges its own application fee, per class, in its own currency. You also pay a local agent in most jurisdictions.
- Madrid: one basic WIPO fee, plus a designation fee per country, plus a transmittal fee at your home office. Classes still multiply the cost.
| Factor | Direct | Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Fee currency | Local, many | Swiss francs, one |
| Agents needed | Usually one per country | Often one, unless refused |
| Central renewal | No | Yes |
| Dependent on home mark | No | Yes, for five years |
Where the break-even usually sits
With one or two target markets, direct filing is frequently cheaper — the WIPO basic fee has no volume to amortise. From roughly three or more designations, Madrid tends to win, and the administrative saving grows because you renew once instead of five times.
Single-jurisdiction cases are the clearest: filing directly at the EUIPO or the UKIPO for that territory alone is almost always cheaper than routing the same designation through Madrid.
The non-fee trade-offs
- Central attack. For five years the international registration depends on your home application. If that base mark falls, the designations fall with it.
- Refusals are still local. A provisional refusal in one designated country needs local counsel, which erodes the fee saving.
- Speed. Direct filings can move faster in offices that examine national applications sooner.
Practical approach
Model both routes with your real class count before choosing. The RateMark calculator shows the upfront and ten-year totals side by side for direct and Madrid routes, including transmittal fees, so the break-even for your specific country list is visible rather than assumed. Filing in the US specifically? See whether a guided service like LegalZoom is worth it.