Applying for international design protection through WIPO

WIPO provides a centralised system for filing international design applications. It is based on the Hague Agreement concerning the International Deposit of Industrial Designs. 


You can register up to 100 designs in over 65 contracting states including the EU, the US, Japan, Korea and Liechtenstein* with a single application.

For more information on filing your application, geographical coverage, the Locarno Classification and fees, please visit the WIPO website.

 

Priority documents

 

If you wish to claim the priority of a Swiss application for applications abroad, you will need to submit a priority document to the authorities abroad. We would be happy to issue one for you.

 

Note for the authorities: a Swiss priority document includes an extract from the design register and a copy of the filing confirmation. Please note that these documents are not bound.

 

WIPO DIGITAL ACCESS SERVICE (DAS)

As of 1 December 2023, Switzerland will be participating in WIPO DAS as a depositing office. From this date, you can submit a request for priority documents to be made available via WIPO DAS for Swiss patent applications, patents, design applications and designs. All you need to do is request the IPI to upload the relevant priority document onto the WIPO DAS platform, indicating the IP right in question and an email address to receive the access code.
 
The procedure is currently only available in Switzerland for patent applications, patents, design applications and designs, but not for trade mark applications and trade marks. Furthermore, Switzerland is currently only participating as a depositing office and not as an accessing office. This means that applicants cannot request the IPI to retrieve priority documents itself from WIPO DAS using an access code if a priority document is to be filed in a Swiss procedure.

 

* NB: Unlike for patents, the Principality of Liechtenstein has no treaty for designs with Switzerland. Design applications for Liechtenstein can be filed with their 'Amt für Volkswirtschaft' (AVW).

 

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