Designs
Legal Basis
– Patent, Design and Trademark Act, No. 15, August 1965, amended 1987 and 2006.
Membership in International Conventions
– Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), since February 4, 1997.
– Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, Stockholm Act, since June 22, 2001.
– WTO’s TRIPS Agreement, since April 23, 2004.
Filing, Protection
Definition: "design" means the form or shape of any material manufactured in any manner. The shape (external) of any object can be registered. Registration of a design does not give any right to the mechanical working of the object.
Registration procedure: the procedures and provisions applicable to designs tally almost in total with those applicable to trademarks.
Duration – renewal: five years from the date of registration and renewable for two five-year periods. The total period of protection is fifteen years.
Filing requirements for an application (to be sent to local agent):
1. Documents similar to those for trademarks;
2. Photographs/drawings of the object taken from all sides (normally 5). Photographs may be of postcard size.
Electronic filing: not available.
Electronic signatures: not accepted.
For a change of name or address:
1. Power of attorney, notarized;
2. Change of name or address document in English, notarized;
3. Original certificate of registration.