How Can Industrial Designs Be Protected?
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Do you want information on how to protect your industrial designs? We came across an article from the World Intellectual Property Organization that provides some great information on this topic. The article, Industrial Designs and the Hague Agreement: An Introduction, introduces the Hague Agreement and reasons to protect industrial designs.
In simple terms, the overall objective of the Hague Agreement is to provide a way in which a single design application can give rights to industrial design protection in a number of countries while preserving the rights of those countries to exclude from protection any designs that do not qualify for protection under their own laws.
As noted in the article, protecting industrial designs benefits not only the owner of the design and the consumers, but also economic development. The details (as taken from the article) are below.
1. The Owner – industrial design protection contributes to the market development of his products and helps ensure a fair return on his investment.
2. Consumers and the public at large – industrial design protection is conducive to fair competition and honest trade practices and encourages creativity, thus leading to more aesthetically attractive and diversified products.
3. Economic Development – industrial design protection injects creativity in the industrial and manufacturing sector, contributes to the expansion of commercial activities, and enhances the export potential of national products.
The article answers such questions as:
What is an industrial design?
Why protect industrial designs?
How can industrial designs be protected?
What are the advantages of protecting industrial designs under the Hague Agreement?
To read the entire article, please click the link below. This piece is the property of the World Intellectual Property Organization. If you have any questions regarding protection of your designs with regard to design and utility patents, or would like recommendations on IP attorneys in the Chicago area, feel free to email Jessie here.
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