PROCEDURE & FLOW CHART FOR OBTAINING A DESIGN PATENT

  1. Industrial design means the outward appearance of a product embodied in two/three dimensional configuration, lines, colours or a combination of such elements
  2. General criteria for design to be granted a patent certificate:

(a) It is novel;

(b) It is of an inventive nature;

(c) It is susceptible of industrial application.

  1. The time frame for:

     (a) the process of preliminary examination is within 01 month from filing date;

    (b) the process of substantive examination is within 07 months from publication date.

  1. The term of validity for a design patent is 05 years counted from the legitimate filing date. The validity of a patent certificate may be renewed twice.
  2. Objects ineligible for protection as industrial designs

(a) Outward appearance of a product which is necessarily due to the technical features of the product.

(b) Outward appearance of civil or industrial construction works.

(c) Shape of a product which is invisible during the use of the product.