American-based companies seeking protection for industrial
designs will soon be encountering significant changes. On May 13,
2015, the United States will become a contracting party to the
Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International
Registration of Industrial Designs (the "Hague
Agreement"). As a result, both domestic and international
design patent protection will be altered. Domestically, design
patents will be entitled to a 15-year term from issuance.
Internationally, an applicant will be able to seek design
protection in multiple jurisdictions with the filing of a single
application.
What Is the Hague Agreement?
The Hague Agreement is an international treaty relating to the
protection of industrial designs. It enables a company or an
individual to file one application for an industrial design and
obtain protection within multiple jurisdictions. The application
can contain up to 100 different industrial designs.
