The Hague Agreement entered into force on August 1, 2023, in Brazil. The Agreement aims to reduce costs and formalities inherent in the process of obtaining and maintaining the international registration of industrial designs.
It’s important to highlight that industrial designs are a form of intellectual property (IP) that protects a commercial product’s ornamental features, such as its shape, color and patterns. By registering a product’s industrial design with a national or regional IP office, the design’s owner has the right to prevent others from making, selling or importing products with copycat designs.
Industrial designs are granted in each country as well as patents and trademarks. For companies expanding their international operations, like Daio Paper, this raises the costly and time-consuming prospect of having to register their designs in every country they want to conduct business in. Read more