International registration of industrial designs

Applying for an international industrial design at WIPO

The international industrial design registration system is based on the Hague Agreement and allows one application to be made to the relevant authorities in one of signatories of this agreement, which has the same effect in each of the countries party to the agreement. Applications may be filed directly with the International Bureau of WIPO or through the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland.

In the latter case, the Polish Patent Office will only forward the application to WIPO, where it is examined for formal correctness. If the application is found to be properly completed and the applicant has paid all the required fees, then the International Office of WIPO will publish information about registration in the online International Designs Bulletin. Following that, WIPO sends the application to the suitable Patent Offices of the countries where the design is to be protected. It is in those Offices that the decision about registering or rejecting the industrial design is made.