Industrial design registration in Croatia

Croatia has strong growth potential in the field of industrial design. Croatia has a rich cultural heritage and a tradition of exquisite craftsmanship. Traditional handicrafts, furniture, ceramics, and jewelry can be combined with modern technology to create unique, aesthetically pleasing products that meet global market demands. The tourism industry is thriving in Croatia, creating a huge demand for products and services related to hotels, restaurants, and resorts. Industrial design can play an important role in designing unique interiors, appliances, and experience spaces that attract tourists. Croatia has a long tradition in the shipbuilding and maritime industry. Industrial design can be applied to the design of ships, yachts, and other marine products, bringing innovation and enhancing product value. Therefore, more and more individuals and organizations want to register industrial designs in Croatia, Viet An Law would like to provide preliminary guidance on the above procedures through the article below.

Legal Basis

• Law on Industrial Designs and Laws Amending and Supplementing the Law on Industrial Designs (Official Gazette No. 173/2003, 76/2007, 30/2009, 49/2011 & 46/2018)

Definition of industrial design in Croatia

In Croatia, an industrial design defined in the Industrial Design Law is the appearance of a product, in whole or in part, characterized by lines, borders, colors, shapes, textures, materials, or decorative patterns.

Conditions for Industrial design registration in Croatia

• Novelty: The design must be new, which means it must not resemble any design that has been publicly announced before the filing date or priority date.
• Uniqueness: The design must be unique, which means that the general impression it makes on the knowledgeable user is different from the general impression that the user receives from any design that has been publicly published before the filing date or priority date.
• Not contrary to public order or morality: The design must not be contrary to public order or morality.
• Not entirely determined by technical function

Types of industrial designs that can be registered in Croatia

Application for Industrial design registration in Croatia

• Application Form: The application form includes the following information:
  • Name, address, nationality and contact information of the applicant (and representative, if applicable);
  • Title of industrial design;
  • Specifies the products to which the style will be applied (Product Type).
  • International Classification Code for Industrial Designs (Locarno Classification).
• Representative image of the style:
  • Drawings, photographs, or other graphic images of the design.
  • These images need to clearly represent all angles of the style (front, back, side, top, bottom, perspective, etc.).
  • A maximum of 7 images can be submitted.
• Priority documentation (if applicable): If a priority claim is from a previous application filed in another country, the applicant will need to submit a certified copy of the previous application.
• Power of attorney (if applicable): If the applicant files through a representative (e.g., attorney or intellectual property representative), the applicant will need to provide a power of attorney that allows them to act on behalf of the applicant.
• Other documents, if any:
  • Copyright claim (if the applicant is not the creator of the design).
  • The transfer document (if the rights to the design have been transferred).

Industrial design registration in Croatia under the Hague Agreement

What is the Hague Agreement on the Industrial design registration?

The Hague Agreement on the Industrial design registration (referred to as the Hague Agreement) is an international treaty administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This agreement provides an international registration system for industrial designs that makes it easy for individual designers and businesses to protect their designs on a global scale.

Benefits of registering industrial design protection through the Hague Agreement

• Simple: Instead of having to file an individual application in each country, the applicant only needs to file a single application in one language (English, French or Spanish) and pay in one currency (Swiss franc) to apply for protection in multiple member states.
• Savings: Significantly reduces costs compared to filing individual applications in each country.
• Centralized Management: Easily manage the applicant’s portfolio of registered industrial designs through a single system.
• Flexibility: The applicant can choose the countries in which you want to protect your industrial design.

Dossier of registration for protection of industrial designs under the Hague Agreement

A dossier for registration of an industrial design under the Hague Agreement includes the following documents:

• International Registration Declaration:
  • The applicant completes the application according to WIPO’s prescribed form in one of three languages: English, French or Spanish.
  • In the application, it is necessary to clearly specify the application for protection under the 1999 Document or the 1960 Document of the Hague Agreement.
  • List the countries in which the applicant wishes to protect his industrial design.
• Images or drawings of the industrial design: the image needs to clearly and fully show the perspectives of the industrial design that the applicant wants to register. The applicant also needs to pay attention to ensuring the quality of good and clear images or drawings.
• Documentation of payment of fees: The applicant notes that the international registration fee should be paid in accordance with WIPO regulations.

Industrial design registration service in Croatia by Viet An Law Firm

• Perform the search and notify the customer in writing of the results of the industrial design search in Croatia;
• Drafting dossiers and directly filing and monitoring the status of industrial design applications filed on behalf of industrial design owners in Croatia;
• Notifying, advising and handling deficiencies/refusals of competent State agencies (if any) in the process of monitoring industrial design applications in Croatia;
• Assist in monitoring and representing the settlement of objections and feedback to the intellectual property representative carrying out the procedure in Croatia.
• Receive official dispatches, certificates and hand over to customers (if any).

If you wish to file an application for registration of an industrial design in Croatia, patent registration, trademark registration, please contact Viet An Law – IP Firm for the most effective support.