Message to the Senate of the United States (Text Only)

I transmit herewith for the Senate's advice and consent to ratification the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks (the "Treaty" or "Singapore Treaty") adopted and signed by the United States at Singapore on March 28, 2006. I also transmit for the information of the Senate a report of the Department of State with respect to the Treaty.

If ratified by the United States, the Treaty would offer significant benefits to U.S. trademark owners and national trademark offices, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The beneficial features of the Trademark Law Treaty of 1994 (the "1994 TLT"), to which the United States is a party, are included in the Singapore Treaty, as well as the improvements to the 1994 TLT that the United States Government sought to achieve through the revision effort. Key improvements allow for national trademark offices to take advantage of electronic communication systems as an efficient and cost-saving alternative to paper communications, at such time as the office is ready to embrace the technology. The Treaty also includes trademark license recordation provisions that reduce the formalities that trademark owners face when doing business in a country that is a Contracting Party that requires trademark license recordation. The goal of these provisions is to reduce the damaging effects that can result from failure to record a license in those jurisdictions that require recordation. These and other improvements create a more attractive treaty for World Intellectual Property Organization Member States. Consequently, once the Treaty is in force, it is expected to increase the efficiency of national trademark offices, which in turn is expected to create efficiencies and cost savings for U.S. trademark owners registering and maintaining trademarks abroad.

Ratification of the Treaty is in the best interests of the United States. I recommend, therefore, that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the Treaty and give its advice and consent to ratification.

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