no
IGE/IPI only conducts formality examination of design patent applications. No novelty review is performed. Applicants may request a 30-month delay in publication.
- Licensing Fee: None.
- Annuity: payable year by year starting from the fourth year from the date of application. The payment date can be the last day of the month where the application date is located. Overdue annual fees can be paid within a grace period of six months, and a penalty of 50.00 Swiss francs must be paid at the same time.
Authorization Fee: None
Annual Fee: Renewable every 5 years starting from the 5th year from the filing date.
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.
1 year
3-5 years
- 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
yes. It is allowed to include multiple designs in one design application.
Novelty grace period applies if the invention is disclosed to the public within six months of the filing date or priority date.
The initial protection is 5 years, which can be renewed 4 times, each time for 5 years, and the maximum protection can be 25 years.