WIPO member states have adopted the Riyadh Design Law Treaty following two weeks of negotiations. This is the 28^th WIPO treaty.

The treaty aims to make procedures for design protection more predictable, less complex and more affordable. In particular, it:

• sets a maximum list of indications or elements that designers must submit with an application.
• allows applicants to choose how they represent the design in an application (drawings, photographs or, if admitted by the IP office, video).
• allows applicants to include several designs in a single application, under certain conditions.
• sets out requirements for the granting of a filing date.
• provides for a grace period of 12 months following a first disclosure of the design.
• allows applicants to keep their designs unpublished for at least six months after having secured a filing date.
• provides relief measures and offers some flexibility to applicants to prevent them from losing their rights if they miss a deadline.
• simplifies the procedure for requesting the renewal of a design registration.
• furthers the introduction of e-filing systems for designs and the electronic exchange of priority documents.

The Treaty requires 15 contracting parties to enter into force.

Speaking at the end of the Diplomatic Conference to agree the treaty, WIPO Director General Daren Tang said: “The process of negotiations allowed us to really engage on a topic which WIPO had not put at the centre of our work for some time – that of designs and designers and the gift they have in using colour, form, shape, beauty and aesthetics to delight our senses, enrich our lives, promote our heritage and transform our culture.”

Read more about the Treaty on WIPO’s website.

The MARQUES Designs Team has been actively engaged in the discussions leading up to the Diplomatic Conference over the past few years. For more information, please visit the Team’s page.

Photo: WIPO/Borlant