Overview of Industrial Design in Congo

With its diverse culture, abundant resources, and unspoiled beauty of nature, the Democratic Republic of the Congo hides an endless source of inspiration for creativity. Motifs and patterns on traditional handicraft products such as masks, ceramics, and textiles can be transformed and applied to modern designs for many different products. Images of Congo’s signature wildlife can be used as inspiration for designs, creating unique products, and attracting tourists. In particular, the field of industrial design here is opening up extremely attractive potentials, promising to create unique products, imbued with Congolese cultural identity and competitive in the international market. Therefore, there are more and more foreign investors in Congo, however, among them there are many individuals and organizations who do not know about the procedure for registering industrial designs in Congo. Viet An Law would like to guide customers through the preliminary procedures for registering industrial designs in Congo through the article below.

Overview of the concept of industrial design in the Congo

Industrial Design Concept

Industrial design in Congo refers to the creation of unique, aesthetic designs that are applied to industrial products. These designs can add aesthetics, functionality, or both of the above elements to the product.

Conditions for registering an industrial design in Congo

• Originality: The design must be novel and not copied from existing designs.
• Aesthetics: The design should be beautiful and contribute to increasing the overall appeal of the product.
• Functionality: In addition to the aesthetic factor, the design must also ensure that the product works effectively.
• Industrial Applications: Designs must be intended for industrial products, not for artistic or personal purposes.

Linkage between conditions for registration of industrial designs

The link between originality and aesthetics:

• Unique design creates aesthetics: A unique design often comes with new lines, shapes, and colors, creating visual appeal. For example, the iPhone with its unique rounded design has created a new design trend.
• Aesthetics highlight uniqueness: A beautiful design will help consumers easily identify and remember the product, thereby affirming its uniqueness.

The link between aesthetics and functionality:

• Beautiful design for functionality: Many products have beautiful designs and are also optimized for functionality. For example, a sports car must not only have an eye-catching design, but also ensure good performance.
• Functionality creates aesthetics: An effective and smooth product will create a sense of satisfaction for users, thereby improving the aesthetic value of the product.

The link between functionality and industrial application:

• Functionality is the decisive factor for application: A product that does not meet the needs of use will be difficult to be mass-produced.
• Industrial applications require high functionality: Mass-produced products need to be durable, easy to manufacture, and easy to maintain.

The link between uniqueness and industrial application:

• Unique design creates a competitive advantage: Unique products help businesses differentiate their products in the market, attract customers, and increase sales.
• Industrial applications require a balance between originality and manufacturability: Designs that are too unique can increase production costs and make it difficult to mass-produce.

Overview of the types of industrial designs that can be registered in Congo

• Decorative Design: Includes designs that contribute to the aesthetic beauty of the product, such as shapes, lines, borders, profiles, colors, textures, or materials.
• Functional designs: While primarily serving function, these designs may also have decorative elements that contribute to the overall appearance of the product. However, the focus should be on the decorative aspect.
• Holographic Design: Includes designs that can be visually visualized in a three-dimensional space, like the shape of a car or the design of a piece of furniture.
• Two-dimensional designs: Include flat or two-dimensional designs, like textures, logos, or logos.

Overview of industrial design registration dossiers in Congo

• 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 statement (if the applicant is not the creator of the design).

If you need to support the procedure for registering an industrial design, please contact Viet An Law for the fastest guidance!