LAUNCHINGNEWPRODUCTSPARTII

Protectingforms&newmodelsinthemarket
INDUSTRIALDESIGNS
(updated2006)

CarolineSchwabProgramOfficer
SmallandMediumSizedEnterprisesDivision
WorldIntellectualPropertyOrganization

WHATISANINDUSTRIALDESIGN?
Anindustrialdesignistheornamentaloraesthetic
aspectofanarticle.Thedesignmayconsistofthree
dimensionalfeatures,suchastheshapeorsurfaceof
anarticle,oroftwodimensionalfeatures,suchas
patterns,linesorcolor.

WHATISANINDUSTRIALDESIGN?
Industrialdesignsareappliedtoawidevarietyof
productsofindustryandhandicraft:fromtechnical
andmedicalinstrumentstowatches,jewelry,and
otherluxuryitems;fromhousewaresandelectrical
appliancestovehiclesandarchitecturalstructures;
fromtextiledesignstoleisuregoods.
Tobeprotectedundermostnationallaws,an
industrialdesignmustappealtotheeye.
Thismeansthatanindustrialdesignisprimarilyofan
aestheticnature,anddoesnotprotectanytechnical
featuresofthearticletowhichitisapplied.

INDUSTRIALDESIGNSAREIMPORTANT
BRANDINGTOOLS
JUSTASTRADEMARKSHAPESANDDISTINGUISH
ACOMPANYSCORPORATEIMAGE,GOODSAND
SERVICES;
ANINDUSTRIALDESIGNSHAPESTHEFORMOF
NEWPRODUCTSTODIFFERENTIATEITFROM
CURRENTPRODUCTS.
COMPANIESCONSTANTLYLAUNCHNEW
DESIGNS/NEWMODELS
IndustrialDesignsandTrademarksareIntellectual
Property(IP)toolsthatcontributetoabranding
strategyandthereforeneedanindustrial&legal
protection.

ANINDUSTRIALDESIGNIS
THEASPECT/SHAPE/FORMOF
APRODUCT
Onlytheaesthetic/visualformofaproductcanbe
filedandprotectedasanIndustrialDesign
nottheTechnical(Patents)norDistinguishingFeatures
(Trademarks)

INDUSTRIALDESIGN
(2DTwodimension)

INDUSTRIALDESIGNSCANDESIGNATE
NATIONALCULTURE&FOLKLORE

GRAPHICDesigns

3DCOMPUTERGRAPHIC
DESIGN

SUCCESSFULDESIGNERSAPPLYSFORPROTECTIONTO
LICENSECOPIESTOGETINCOMESANDROYALTIES
HOWEVER,ADESIGNISAUTOMATICALLYPROTECTED
BYTHECOPYRIGHTSYSTEM

 INDUSTRIALDESIGN

DISNEY3DCHARACTERGRAPHICDESIGN

 DISNEYDIGITAL3D
DESIGN

THE NEW CHICKEN STAR

CHARACTER

TheValueofaCreativeDesign
MAKESAPRODUCTATTRACTIVEAND
APPEALING
TARGETSPECIFICMARKETSEGMENTS
CREATEANEWMARKETNICHE
STRENGTHENBRANDS
LAUNCHANEWSTYLEOFPRODUCTSAND
INCREASECONSUMERSDEMAND

IndustrialDesignprotection>
registration=

Exclusiverighttopreventunauthorizedcopyingor
imitationbyothers
Returnoninvestment
Businessassetincreasingcommercialvalueofa
companyanditsproducts
Registereddesignmaybelicensed(orsold)
Encouragesfaircompetitionandhonesttradepractices

Reasonsforprotectingdesignsin
EU

70%preventcopying
23.4%companypolicy
20.3%getaheadcompetition
10.1%prestige
6.5%preventpeoplethinkIcopy
5.8%other

PracticalAspects

ProtectingIndustrialDesigns
ProtectingDesignsAbroad
EnforcingIndustrialDesigns
OtherLegalInstrumentsforprotecting
Protectingdesignersrights

Whattorememberwhenseeking
protection
ThedesignmustbeNEW
ThedesignmustbeORIGINAL
ThedesignmusthaveINDIVIDUALCHARACTER

Thedesigncanalsobeprotectedascopyright(notonlyasa
Design)

Rememberwhatcannotbe
protected
Designsthatfailtomeetrequirementsofnovelty,
originalityand/orindividualcharacter
Designsdictatedbytechnicalfunction
Designswithofficialsymbolsoremblems
Designscontrarytopublicorderormorality

ScopeofRights
Therighttopreventunauthorizedcopyingorimitation
bythirdparties.
Legallyexcludeallothersmaking,offering,importing,
exportingorsellingproductwithaspecificdesign.
Howeveraninfringementcanbelegallycombatedonly
iftheownerhasrecordhisdesign(s)andreceiveda
formalcertificateofprotection.

KeepinMind

Thetimeittakestoregisteradesign
Thecostofregistration
Keepingdesignsecretpriorregistration
Graceperiod
WhomayapplyforIDprotection
WhoownstherightoverID

Protectionathomeandabroad

Thenationalroute
eachcountrywhereyouseekprotectionbutalongand
expensiveprocess

Theregionalroute(forsomecountriesonly)
countriesmembersofaregionalagreement:AfricanRegional
IndustrialPropertyOffice;AseanIPO;BeneluxDesignOffice;
OfficeforHarmonizationoftheInternalMarketoftheEU;
OrganisationAfricainedelaPropritIntellectuelle

Theinternationalroute
HagueagreementAdministeredbyWIPO(42countries)

EachcountryhasanIPOfficetoenableany
owner/enterprisetoapplyforprotectionof
IndustrialDesigns.
WIPOADMINISTERSATREATYNAMED
THEHAGUEAGREEMENT
WHICHOFFERSATLOWPRICECOMPAREDTO
THEPRIVATEFILINGSYSTEM,SERVICESOF
SEARCH&PROTECTIONIN42COUNTRIES.
THISTREATYOFFERSTOTHEOWNERS,A
POSSIBILITYTOFILETHEIRDESIGN(S)
DIRECTLYATWIPO.

TheHagueAgreementConcerningthe
InternationalRegistrationofIndustrial
Designs
TheHagueAgreemententeredintoforcein1925
ItwasrevisedatLondonin1934andattheHaguein
1960(supplementedbytheAdditionalActofMonacoin
1961,theComplementaryActwasadoptedat
Stockholmin1967andtheProtocolofGenevawas
adoptedin1975andamendedin1979
andatGenevain1999bythememberstatesofthe
HAGUEUNION

ProtectingIDthrough
Registration

TheApplicanthasthechoice:tofileatWIPOviahisIPOfficeor
directly.WIPOoffersfreeinformation&guidelinesonline:

http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/paris/index.html
TheHagueAgreementbasedontheParisConvention

http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/registration/hague/index.html
Thehagueagreementregistrationportal

TheIPOfficereceivingtherequestwillproceedtothe:
formalexamination(onlybynationalIPoffice)
substantiveexamination
designregister/designgazette
designregistrationcertificatevalidatleast10years

UsingIDasabusinessasset

Licensing
ADDITIONALSOURCEOFREVENUE
EXPLOITINGACOMPANYSEXCLUSIVITYOVER
DESIGN
LICENSINGCONTRACTS

ENFORCINGINDUSTRIAL
DESIGNSDEPENDSON
ResponsibilityonowneroftheIDtomonitor,identify
imitators/counterfeitersanddecideonaction
AdviceofIPlawyer
Ceaseanddesistlettertoinfringer
Searchandseizeorder
cooperationwithcustomsauthoritiestoprevent
importationofinfringinggoods.

IPforBusinessSeries

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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