Mexico joins the Hague Agreement

As of June 6, 2020, Mexico has officially joined the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. Having deposited its instrument of accession on March 6, 2020, Mexico marks the 64th member of the Geneva Act and the 74th party to join the Hague System.

The Geneva Act allows for applicants from member states to file a single design application to the WIPO designating multiple member states, provided they are also party to the Act. The application can be filed in one language for all countries designated, and only requires payment of one set of fees. This significantly simplifies the process of international design registration by eliminating the need to file in each country individually. As per the Locarno classification, applicants may register up to 100 industrial designs belonging to the same class.

Mexico continues to be a leading country in the intellectual property field within Latin America, constituting the first Spanish speaking country of Latin America to become a contracting party to the system. In 2019, Mexico was ranked third among the 19 economies in Latin America and the Caribbean as per the Global Innovation Index (GII), as well as having been ranked 10th among the 34 upper middle-income economies.

Overall, the addition of Mexico to the Hague Agreement emphasises the progress the country has made in recent years in being an economic leader in Latin America. By encouraging applicants to prioritise Mexico as a jurisdiction to file for IP rights, it is hoped that the country will continue to grow as a hub for intellectual property in the region.