The 13 March 2018 the United Kingdom has adhered to Hague System for the protection of international designs, which It will enter in vigor in that country the June 13 2018.
Therefore, from 13 June 2018 it will also be possible to obtain design protection in the United Kingdom through an international industrial design application through the Hague system. It allows some breathing room for applicants wishing to protect their designs in the UK, since on the occasion of the Brexit There are serious doubts about the permanence of the United Kingdom in the community design system of the European Union.
In this way, the United Kingdom joins other countries with important activity in industrial design that have also joined the Hague Agreement in recent years, such as South Korea, the USA, Japan and Russia.
Currently there 68 Contracting Parties, including two intergovernmental organizations (the European Union and the OAPI), and it is expected that other countries such as China, Canada, Israel, Mexico, etc will also join in the near future.
Some and advantages of the international registry are the following:
- Centralization of the procedure and renewals before the International Bureau of WIPO.
- Payment of a single set of fees, which is usually cheaper than submitting several national applications
- Ease in managing changes in the name or address of the owner and changes in ownership.
Therefore, The Hague System is increasingly attractive for those applicants who want protection for their designs in several countries belonging to the System.
Author Pedro Saturio
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