On behalf of the UK government, the CEO of the Intellectual
Property Office (IPO) has signed this new
treaty at the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO) General
Assembly in Geneva. This new multilateral treaty will bring
benefits to UK designers through simplified application and
renewal processes and reduced administrative burdens in
international applications.
The treaty simplifies and brings harmonisation to the application
process for industrial design protection internationally,
benefiting UK businesses and designers looking to protect their
creations abroad and establish a safe presence internationally.
Adam , the UK IPO's Chief Executive
Officer, signed the treaty today (11 July 2025) witnessed
by WIPO Director
General Daren Tang during the WIPO General
Assembly in Geneva.
Commenting on the signing, Adam said:
On behalf of Minister , and the UK government, I am
pleased to sign the Riyadh Design Law Treaty (RDLT), which will make it
easier for designers and businesses,
particularly SMEs to apply for,
renew or maintain a registered design in other countries.
It will simplify and standardise international design protection,
making systems more navigable and will boost UK designers'
ability to safeguard their creations globally.
The signing of this treaty demonstrates the UK's commitment to
supporting designers around the globe and striving for
international design law harmonisation and we encourage other
nations to do the same.
Following the signing, the IPO will begin
engagement with stakeholders and work towards formal ratification
of the treaty.
The treaty was negotiated and agreed at the WIPO Diplomatic
conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 22 November 2024.
The provisions of the RDLT will come into force
once 15 countries have deposited their instrument of accession
with WIPO.
Once in force, the treaty will help simplify processes for
businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs),
enhancing the UK's competitiveness.
More information
The treaty will simplify the procedures for applying for,
renewing or maintaining a registered design, reducing
administrative burdens on designers.
It will:
-
limit the information designers will be required to submit in
an application form, providing harmonised procedures across
all contracting parties
-
simplify the requirements for obtaining a filing date (the
date from which protection of the design will start). Speed
and ease in getting a filing date are important as delays can
lead to the loss of rights (due to the requirement for a
design to be “new”)
-
provide harmonised timescales for requests for information
and responses in relation to a design registration. This will
provide more certainty and predictability for designers
-
encourage modernisation of design systems. This includes use
of electronic applications and making public digital
databases of registered designs
This transparency will help designers ensure their designs are
new and do not replicate existing designs.
Current signatories are:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina,
- Central African Republic,
- Congo,
- Costa Rica,
- Côte d'Ivoire,
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
- Gambia,
- Ghana,
- Lebanon,
- Morocco,
- Paraguay,
- Philippines,
- Republic of Moldova,
- Sao Tome and Principe,
- Saudi Arabia,
- Sudan,
- Uruguay,
- Uzbekistan
- Zimbabwe
