The Hague Agreement has provided international protection for industrial designs since 1925. The latest of several revisions, agreed upon at Geneva in 1999, is operational as of April 1, 2004, under the administration of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The global protection of industrial designs, accommodating all forms of national protection systems, will be based on this treaty. This in-depth analysis by William T. Fryer, III, a well-known Professor of Law and patent attorney who participated [and participant] in the meetings and diplomatic conference that led up to the 1999 Act (as well as in subsequent user meetings), is unlikely to be superseded. It presents a detailed drafting history and expert analysis, as well as incomparable strategic guidance for attorneys, businesses, and governments in the implementation of the Act's provisions. Readers can expect all of the following and more:an overall understanding of how the 1999 Act operates to amend and update the Hague Agreement; expert analysis of the Act's key features; detailed exploration of the Act's drafting history; strategic insights into using the Act's provisions to protect industrial designs; guidance for governments considering adherence to the Act; and a source book for the main treaty documents. The book will be of inestimable value to lawyers worldwide working in intellectual property protection, as well as to industrial designers, businesses, and government officials in trade policy. It is an essential addition to all law libraries.

The present publication contains the texts of the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs and the Regulations under the Geneva Act, as well as the agreed statements adopted at the same time as the Act and Regulations.

This publication exposes the main innovations stated in the Geneva Act (1999) of the Hague Agreement which are, among others, to extend the Hague system to new members and to preserve the fundamental simplicity of the Hague system and make it more attractive to applicants.

The Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs provides a practical business solution for registering up to 100 designs in any of its contracting parties, through the filing of a single international application with WIPO. Management of the resulting international registration is a single-step procedure. The Hague Agreement governs the Hague System.

The system of international registration of industrial designs is governed by this Agreement. The objectives of the system are two-fold. Firstly, it offers the possibility of obtaining protection for industrial designs in a number of States through a single deposit made with the International Bureau of WIPO. Secondly, by having a single registration with effect in several countries, the subsequent management of the protection obtained is also made much easier.

The Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs provides a practical business solution for registering up to 100 designs in any of its contracting parties, through the filing of a single international application with WIPO. Management of the resulting international registration is a single-step procedure. The Hague Agreement governs the Hague System.

This major new volume is a complete reference tool for intellectual property specialists interested in the complex system of conventions, treaties, and agreements which protect intellectual property. The book features a comprehensive collection of the key intellectual property treaties concluded at international and regional level, including all such treaties of relevance to the US and Europe. The full text of each treaty is reproduced in English and supplemented by editorial commentaries explaining the significance of each instrument, its drafting history, principle provisions, and listings of the relevant member states and when they joined.