China joins the Hague System for Industrial Designs

 China has joined the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs. Accession will come into effect on May 5, 2022, and from this date, China will begin accepting applications for design registration under the system.

With China's accession, Chinese designers will be able to use the International Design Registration System to protect and promote their designs abroad. China filed a total of 795,504 design applications in 2020. This represents approximately 55% of applications filed worldwide.

On the other hand, foreign designers will be able to register their designs in China under the Hague System.

The Hague System facilitates the application procedures for design owners by eliminating the need to apply individually in each country or region to obtain design registration. Users of the system have the opportunity to request design registration In more than 90 countries of their choice with a single application. In addition, applications can be made online and application fees can be paid at once.

China also joined the WIPO's Marrakech Treaty on February 5, 2022. The Treaty of Marrakech, administered by WIPO, facilitates the production and international transfer of specially adapted books for the blind or visually impaired. It does this by establishing a number of limitations and exceptions to traditional copyright law.

The Treaty of Marrakech was adopted on 27 June 2013 and entered into force on 30 September 2016. It is the rapidly growing agreement of WIPO and currently includes 84 contracting parties before China takes effect on May 5, 2022.