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International Registration Of Industrial Designs Is Available In Singapore
June 2005 | Intellectual Property & Technology | IP Edge

Singapore became a party to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs ("Hague Agreement") on 17 April 2005. The Registered Designs (International Registration) Rules 2005 was enacted to give effect to the Geneva Act. These Rules also came into effect on 17 April 2005.

The Hague Agreement is a multilateral treaty administered by the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organisation ("WIPO") in Geneva, Switzerland. It provides a system which allows the owner of an industrial design to obtain protection of his industrial design in other member countries at the same time by filing a single application with one office (either directly with the International Bureau of WIPO or in some countries, through the national office of the member country), in one language, with one set of fees in one currency. An international registration is protected in each of the designated countries as if the design had been registered there directly unless the competent Office of that country refuses protection.

The Hague system also simplifies the subsequent management of the industrial design, since it is possible to record subsequent changes or to renew the registration through a single procedural step with the International Bureau of WIPO.

As at 17 January 2005, there are 17 signatories to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement. These countries include Switzerland, Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Croatia and Romania.