Press Release: Industrial property: Commission proposes linking of EU design registration system with WIPO international system

The European Commission has presented two proposals to link the 'Community Design' system, which protects designs within the EU, with the international design registration system of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). The proposals would allow companies, with a single application, to obtain protection of a design not only throughout the EU with the Community Design, but also in the countries which are members of the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement concerning the international registration of industrial designs. The first proposal relates to the accession of the European Community (EC) to the Geneva Act. The second proposal contains the necessary provisions to give effect to that accession, in particular through an amendment of Council Regulation No. 6/2002 on Community Designs.

European Commission: DG Internal Market: Industrial Property: Designs http://ec.europa.eu/comm/internal_market/en/indprop/design/index.htm

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