The Locarno Classification—also known as the International Classification for Industrial Designs—is a standardized system used worldwide to classify industrial designs during the registration process.

This system was established under the Locarno Agreement, a multilateral treaty adopted in 1968. It is managed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The Locarno Classification groups industrial designs into specific categories (called classes and subclasses) based on the type of products the design applies to. This makes it easier to identify and organize designs consistently across different countries.

·         There are 32 main classes, each covering a broad category of products.

·         Each class is further divided into subclasses, providing more specific groupings.

·         The system also includes an alphabetical list of over 5,000 goods, indicating the class and subclass each item belongs to.

This classification system is updated every two years. Revisions are made by a Committee of Experts, and new editions come into effect every January 1st of even-numbered years. The full classification is available online via the WIPO IP Portal, in both English and French.

All national IP offices that are part of the Locarno Agreement are required to use the classification in their official documentation. This means they must indicate the class and subclass numbers on design registrations and publications.

In addition to the national offices, several regional and international offices also use the Locarno Classification, including:

·         African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI).

·         African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO).

·         Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP).

·         European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

·         WIPO, for international applications under the Hague System.

As of now, 60 countries are officially parties to the Locarno Agreement.

Using the Locarno Classification offers several benefits:

·         It standardizes the classification of industrial designs across countries, making it easier to file in multiple jurisdictions.

·         It eliminates the need to reclassify goods according to each country’s national system.

·         It facilitates industrial design searches, making it easier to compare existing registrations.

If you're planning to file for industrial design protection, understanding and correctly using the Locarno Classification can save you time and help you avoid unnecessary complications. Feel  free to contact us if you are interested in applying for industrial design protection or if you'd like to learn more about design protection.

As we know, trademarks are used and registered for the specific goods and/or services to which they relate. For the purpose of simplifying the procedure for the categorisation of goods/services indicated in trademark applications, the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks, otherwise known as the Nice Classification (NCL), was established in 1957 by the Nice Agreement.

As of the publication of the 1st NCL edition of 1963, it has been revised and published every 5 years. Since 2013, the Classification has been revised annually and is subsequently published on January 1st of each year to include any amendments, additions or deletions to classes. A whole new edition of the NCL is published every 5 years.

The editions of the Nice Classification are available online and comprise a full list of all classes in relation to the goods and services detailed therein, alongside the relevant explanatory notes, available on the WIPO website. At present, there are 34 available classes of goods, and 11 classes of services, for which a trademark can be registered.

The headings of the classes broadly denote the nature of the goods and services contained within the class, whilst the explanatory notes describe the types of products or services which can come under that class umbrella. There are 10,000 indications of goods in the alphabetical list of the Classification, and 1000 indications of services in the last edition of NCL.

The NCL is currently utilised by approximately 150 intellectual property offices across the globe, inclusive of the regional offices of the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

Each member state of the Nice Agreement is obliged to include the relevant class numbers corresponding to the goods and services for which the mark is being registered on official documents and publications in relation to the trademark registration. Further, the NCL must be applied in these jurisdictions either as a principal classification, or as a subsidiary classification.

The Nice Classification is a useful tool which provides for a more simplified and efficient way of drafting applications which are to be filed in multiple countries, owing to the fact that the goods and services applicable to the trademark application will be classified in a uniform manner in all states which utilise the NCL. Furthermore, as the Classification can be accessed in multiple languages, it eliminates the need for translation when an applicant opts to file for goods or services differing from that of the office of origin of an application.

If you are interested in applying for a trademark, contact us.

The International Patent Classification (IPC), administered by the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO), is a hierarchical system for use in relation to the uniform classification of patents and utility models.

The main objective of the IPC is to establish an effective search tool through which users can retrieve relevant patent documents such as applications and specifications of granted patents et al. Such documents may be used, for example, to assist in the establishment of novelty and assessment of an inventive step or non-obvious element of an invention.

Moreover, the IPC also facilitates selective dissemination of relevant patent and utility model information across users of the system, and provides a basis on which statistical analysis on intellectual property and technological development can occur.

Established by the Strasbourg Agreement of 1971, the IPC contains information on patent publications from all Contracting States privy to the system, as well as most other jurisdictions, making it the most widely used patent classification system worldwide. Each patent or utility model publication is assigned one or more classification symbols which indicate the subject, or technological area, to which an invention pertains, allowing users of the IPC to efficiently distinguish details of patent publications. By utilising language-independent symbols, the classification system allows for the multi-jurisdictional use of the IPC in a uniform manner.

The classification system is split into eight alphabetised sections of subject areas for patents and utility models, namely:

A. Human necessities

B. Performing operations and transportation

C. Chemistry and metallurgy

D. Textiles and paper

E. Fixed constructions

F. Mechanical engineering, lighting, heating, weapons and blasting

G. Physics

H. Electricity

Each of these sections is then divided into classes and subclasses, as well as groups and subgroups, each possessing its own alphabetical or numerical code. The corresponding letters and numbers come together to form an overall symbol to which patent publications can be assigned, for example in the format of A01B 1/00.

The "hierarchical" element is demonstrated by the tiered format of section, class, group etc. Typically, a patent examiner will assign the classification to a patent application at the most detailed level possible in accordance with their technical content and subject matter.

The IPC is reviewed annually to reflect relevant technical developments, with the newest version being enforced on January 1st of each year. At present, the classification system is in use in over 100 countries across the globe, and divides technology into almost 80,000 areas. The IPC also details a Catchword Index, which constitutes a list of 20,000 technical key terms in relation to the appropriate classification placement, provided in both English and French, the two main languages of the system. A detailed version of the index is also provided in English and German by the German Patent and Trademark Office, which contains over 100,000 terms.

Other patent classifications are also in operation, for example, the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC), managed jointly by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The International Patent Classification system, as well as other operational classification models used worldwide, can prove a vital tool for use in the retrieval and assessment of patent documents. If you have any questions regarding the IPC, or are interested in filing a patent or utility model application, please feel free to contact us.

Protecting industrial designs in multiple countries can be both expensive and time-consuming when done through individual national filings. The Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs offers a faster, more cost-effective alternative. With a single application, you can register your design in over 90 countries.

What is the Hague System?

The Hague System was established under the Hague Agreement, first adopted in 1925. It is now governed by the Geneva Act of 1999, which is the most widely used and modern component of the system. While the Hague Act of 1960 remains formally in force, it is no longer applied in practice. The system is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

This system allows applicants to file a single international design application designating the jurisdictions where protection is needed and manage design portfolio (e.g., renewals, changes) centrally through WIPO’s International Bureau.

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible, the applicant must be:

·         A national or resident of a contracting party.

·         A national of a member state of a contracting party, or

·         Have a real and effective business presence in a contracting party.

How to File

·         Applications are generally filed directly with WIPO, but in some jurisdictions it is also possible to file through the national or regional IP office, if permitted.

·         The application may be filed in English, French, or Spanish, the official languages of the system.

Applicants must pay three types of fees (in Swiss francs):

1.      A basic fee,

2.      Designation fees for each selected country, and

3.      A publication fee.

Application Requirements

·         A single application can include up to 100 designs, provided they all belong to the same class of the Locarno Classification.

·         Each design must be accompanied by at least one reproduction—this could be a photo, drawing, or another type of graphic representation.

Some countries don't allow multiple designs in a single application. In such cases, the application may need to be divided when examined in that jurisdiction, though this doesn’t affect the overall international registration.

Priority Claims

You can claim priority from an earlier application (under the Paris Convention or WTO) if your international filing is submitted within six months of the earlier one.

What Happens After Filing?

Once submitted, WIPO examines the application for compliance with formal requirements, such as the payment of fees and the quality of the design representations.

After the formal examination:

·         The application is published in the International Designs Bulletin—usually six months after filing.

·         Applicants can request early publication or deferment of publication (where allowed).

Designated national IP offices are then notified and will conduct substantive examinations in accordance with their national laws. WIPO does not perform substantive examination.

Refusals and Decisions

Each designated contracting party decides independently whether to grant protection. If a design is refused in one jurisdiction, it does not affect the application's status in others.

Refusals must be issued within either 6 or 12 months from the date of publication, depending on the applicable national laws.

If no refusal is issued within the prescribed  time limit, protection is deemed to be granted in that jurisdiction.

Responses to refusals are handled directly between the applicant and the national IP office—not through WIPO.

Duration and Renewal

·         International design protection is initially valid for five years from the filing date.

·         It can be renewed for additional five-year terms, up to the maximum duration permitted under the laws of each designated contracting party.

·         WIPO will remind the right holder six months before renewal is due.

The Hague System provides a streamlined approach to securing international design protection. Instead of filing separate applications in each country, applicants can submit a single international application that follows a unified set of rules and requires only one set of fees. This significantly reduces the administrative burden by minimizing formalities and paperwork. Additionally, the application can be completed in just one language, making it accessible and efficient for users around the world. The value of such a system has become increasingly evident, especially as industrial design filings continue to rise.

Ready to Apply?

If you're interested in protecting your designs internationally, the Hague System can help you save time, effort, and costs. Contact IP-Coster today for more information or assistance with your application.