With the development of a new brand image for Gobi and the creation of certification marks, using the intellectual property (IP) system to protect these assets is vital to Gobi, the Society, and the entire Mongolian cashmere industry. As Mongolian cashmere started to gain in popularity throughout the world in the 1980s, Gobi realized the importance of protecting its name early on. In 1988 it filed for trademark protection for theGobi name and its logo through the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks, which is managed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This international registration was designated to many countries, such as the Italian Republic in 1988, the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2009, and Japan in 2010.