Talk:Hague system

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Having found a stub on this topic at Hague_Agreement_Concerning_the_International_Deposit_of_Industrial_Designs I rewrote the content of that page, expanding it substantially. I then found this page, which had essentially the same content as the original stub I had rewritten, so a redirect seems sensible. Tt 225 (talk) 15:37, 19 August 2009 (UTC)

Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs The Hague System of international registrations of industrial designs is applicable among the countries [PDF] party to the Hague Agreement. It is administered by the International Bureau of WIPO located in Geneva, Switzerland. This system gives the owner of an industrial design the possibility to have his design protected in several countries by simply filing one application with the International Bureau of WIPO, in one language, with one set of fees in one currency (Swiss Francs). An international registration produces the same effects in each of the designated countries as if the design had been registered there directly unless protection is refused by the competent Office of that country. The Hague System simplifies greatly also the subsequent management of the industrial design, since it is possible to record subsequent changes or to renew the registration through a simple single procedural step with the International Bureau of WIPO.

The International Protection of Industrial Designs The Hague Agreement concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs offers designers a simplified means of applying for protection of a design. Through this, a single international application can give protection in several countries. This agreement is administered by the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). The Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement allows for the accession of intergovernmental organisations and the European Commission will accede to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement on 1 January 2008. This will give access to the Hague system for designers in the EU, including of course United Kingdom designers. This will provide many benefits to applicants wishing to register designs internationally; there will no longer be a need •	to provide translations of the documents, •	to keep watch on the different deadlines for renewal of a great number of national registrations, and •	to pay a series of national fees and fees to agents in different countries. Overall there will be savings both in cost and administration. This accession allows the designation of the EC in an international registration under the Geneva Act. This international registration will have the same effects in the territory of the EC as a Community design which is administered by the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM). Applicants will therefore with a single application be able to obtain protection of a design throughout the European Union and also any of the countries which are members of the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement. Neither the UK Intellectual Property Office nor the OHIM is a receiving office. This means that applications for international registrations must be filed directly with WIPO. The press release on the Commission's accession is available from the Commission's website. Further information on the Hague Agreement and on which countries have ratified the Geneva Act is available from the World Intellectual Property Organisation.