The Hague System offers a cost-effective, efficient means of registration of industrial designs in a large number of countries, providing design owners broad geographical protection of their designs with a minimum of formality and expense. Through a single application filed with WIPO, either electronically or on paper, a design can be registered in the 64 countries and intergovernmental organizations that are members of the Hague Agreement, which is underpinned by a series of international treaties.
The nations acceded to the Hague System by depositing official instruments at WIPO headquarters in Geneva, where officials from the two countries met with WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. The accessions broaden the geographical scope of protection of industrial designs, bringing membership in the Hague System to 64 contracting parties.
“Designers in Japan and the USA can now readily protect and promote their industrial designs in dozens of other countries around the globe that are Hague members,” said Mr. Gurry. “And designers in those countries now have easier access to protection in two of the largest global economies. This is a win for businesses and designers everywhere and signals a major advancement for one of WIPO’s premier registry services.”
