Brussels, 28/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - On 22 December, the European Commission unveiled two proposals to link the 'Community Design' system, which protects designs within the EU, with the international design registration system of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). The proposals would allow companies, with a single application to the EU Office for the Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) to obtain protection of a design not only throughout the EU with the Community Design, but also in the countries which are members of the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement concerning the international registration of industrial designs, operational since 1 April 2004. The first proposal relates to the accession of the European Community (EC) to the Geneva Act. The second proposal contains the necessary legal provisions.
The simplified procedure would lead to a saving of costs: there would no longer be a need to provide translations of the documents, to keep watch on the different deadlines for renewal of a great number of national registrations and to pay a series of national fees and fees to agents in different countries. Internal Market and Services Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said: "These proposals will allow EU firms to safeguard valuable design rights with less bureaucracy while at the same time encouraging them to trade with third countries in the knowledge that their design rights are protected."
The Community Design system, which became fully operational on 1 April 2003, provides for the acquisition of protection for designs with unitary effect for the whole of the EU. In 2004, the Commission launched consultation with interested parties on the possible impact on business of EC accession to the Hague system. The overwhelming majority of businesses, professional organisations and Member States were in favour of accession in the near future, hence the Commission's new proposals (which now need to be endorsed by the Council).