- via Paris Convention : 6 months from earliest priority date.
- Hague Agreement route: 6 months from earliest priority date.
- EU appearance route: 6 months from the earliest priority date.
3-5 years
Authorization Fee: None
Annual Fee: Renewable every 5 years starting from the 5th year from the filing date.
Novelty grace period applies if the invention is disclosed to the public within six months of the filing date or priority date.
IGE/IPI only conducts formality examination of design patent applications. No novelty review is performed. Applicants may request a 30-month delay in publication.
Filing Language: German/French/Italian Necessary documents:
- Exterior Design Picture (Six Views)
- A Brief Description
Attachments (if any):
- Power of Attorney
- Certified Priority Document
- Declaration of Ownership/Certification of Employment/Assignment of priority
- Assignment for Patent Right Transfer
- via Paris Convention : 6 months from earliest priority date.
- Hague Agreement route: 6 months from earliest priority date.
- EU appearance route: 6 months from the earliest priority date.
no
Reinstatement of priority is accepted on grounds of "due care."
- via Paris Convention : 12 months from earliest priority date.
- via Nationalization of PCT : 30 months from the earliest priority date.
- Validation of European Patent in EPO member states: 3 months from the date of European patent grant
Novelty grace period is available if the design is disclosed by the designer or the designer's representative within 12 months before the application to IGE/IPI.