Foreign design registration
Most major countries of the world have their own design
registration systems.
A number of countries (but not including the United
Kingdom) belong to the international registration system.
A European Community registered design system is likely
to start operating in the not too distant future.
For the time being, a British applicant needs to file
separate applications in each country of interest. Most countries belong
to an international convention under which it is possible to claim the
date of a British application as a priority date, provided that the
foreign application is filed within six months after the British
application. Therefore, once the British application has been filed, the
applicant can publicly test the market for the design before needing to
make a decision about foreign protection.
