Riyadh Treaty makes life easier for designers around the world

Designers around the world are in for a treat. Last November, member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted a new treaty that will make it easier, faster and more affordable for designers to protect their work.

The Design Law Treaty was adopted in Riyadh after years of negotiations and represents both a step forward for designers and another victory for multilateralism and cooperation in international relations.

Designs are business assets that increase the market value of a product and provide a competitive advantage by guiding consumer decisions, making products more attractive. Thanks to this treaty, it will be much easier for SMEs and entrepreneurs to register the fruits of their labor.

Currently, design registration procedures vary from country to country and designers must follow the procedures established by the Industrial Property (IP) office of the country in which they are seeking protection. The Riyadh Treaty will help make these procedures simpler, more predictable and more affordable.

In addition to homogenizing certain standards, the Treaty will allow applicants to include several designs in a single application and will simplify the design renewal application procedure, among other measures.

The Treaty also provides for the availability of technical assistance for developing and least developed countries that may have difficulties in implementing the Treaty.

In short, the Riyadh Treaty is a major step forward for designers around the world, who will see the bureaucratic procedures for the protection of their rights made easier and less costly, thus enabling them to focus their efforts on design.

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