Historic International Treaty on Design Protection Signed in Riyadh

Borghildur Erlingsdóttir, Director General of the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office (ISIPO), signed the Final Act of a landmark international treaty on design protection at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday. The treaty, supported by WIPO’s 190 member states, represents a major breakthrough in global design protection, aiming to harmonize rules and simplify procedures for creators seeking to safeguard their designs internationally. The treaty will enter into force once it is ratified by 15 WIPO member states.

“This is a highly positive development that will make it significantly easier for Icelandic designers to protect their work on a global scale,” said Ms. Erlingsdóttir. “The consensus achieved at the conference is a remarkable step forward, delivering a treaty that ensures harmonized protection in the majority of countries worldwide. With the European Union also updating its design protection framework, we can expect these changes, alongside the provisions of this important treaty, to be integrated into Icelandic legislation in the coming years.”

The treaty introduces significant advancements, including enhanced flexibility in how designs are represented in applications (e.g., drawings, photographs, or videos), a clear definition of the filing date, and harmonized formal requirements such as renewal procedures. It also standardizes a 12-month grace period for filing design applications after the first public disclosure, under certain conditions, and allows applicants to keep design applications unpublished for at least six months from the filing date.

WIPO Director General Daren Tang welcomed the adoption of the Riyadh Design Law Treaty – so called in recognition of the city that hosted the final stage negotiations – congratulated negotiators on reaching agreement and praised the leadership of Conference President, Dr. Abdulaziz AlSwailem, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP).
“After 20 years, and two long weeks – we made history today, and we welcome the 28th WIPO Treaty – the Riyadh Design Law Treaty. We have demonstrated that multilateralism can change the world for the better,” Mr. Tang said.

Mr. Tang emphasized the importance of the new pact for designers, noting: “The process of negotiations allowed us to really engage on a topic which WIPO had not put at the center of our work for some time – that of designs and designers and the gift they have in using color, form, shape, beauty and aesthetics to delight our senses, enrich our lives, promote our heritage and transform our culture,” Mr. Tang concluded.

WIPO

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information, and cooperation. A specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO helps entrepreneurs and creators around the world transform their ideas into tangible outcomes and enhance quality of life through innovation and creativity.

WIPO offers a wide range of services to enable creators to protect and promote their intellectual property across borders. It also serves as a platform for dialogue on IP issues and provides authoritative data and insights to inform decision-making globally.