The Community Trade Mark Regulation came into force in March 1994, and the first CTM applcations will be accepted from 1st January 1996. By filing one application, a trade mark owner may obtain a single registration effective throughout the whole of the EC, and for the first time it will be possible to gain truly international protection for intellectual property rights. Trade mark practitioners world-wide will require in-depth knowledge of the system in order to advise their clients how best to benefit from the Community Trade Mark. The Madrid Protocol comes into effect on 1st April 1996, providing a procedural shortcut to the multiple filing of national trade mark applications. The Protocol will eventually dovetail into the CTM system. This guide aims to help the practitioner to evaluate whether the CTM or the Madrid Protocol or both will best meet the commercial client's aims.