Lesson 6: Industrial Design Protection in Multiple Jurisdictions
Is There AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY TO FACILITATE MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL REGISTRATIONS?
The Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (Hague Agreement) facilitates multi-jurisdictional protection through the filing of one international application. It is similar, in this respect, to the Patent Cooperation Treaty process for patents.
The Hague Agreement currently has more than 60 members, including the European Union and the United States. As in the case of patents, deciding whether to proceed by way of the Hague Agreement is a decision to be made based on your own particular circumstances. Think now and for the future when deciding whether to proceed with international filings and in respect of which particular countries.
In addition to the Hague Agreement, WIPO also provides useful comparative information about national industrial design laws.