BASIC PROPOSAL FOR THE NEW ACT OF THE HAGUE AGREEMENT CONCERNING THE INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS

INTRODUCTION

1. The present document contains a draft of a new Act of the Hague Agreement for the International Deposit of Industrial Designs. Together with document H/DC/4, which contains a draft of Regulations under the new Act, it constitutes the basic proposal mentioned in Rule 29(1)(a) of the draft Rules of Procedure of the Diplomatic Conference. Notes on the provisions of the draft new Act and Regulations are contained in documents H/DC/5 and 6.

2. The draft new Act is the result of seven sessions of the Committee of Experts on the Development of the Hague Agreement, held respectively in April 1991, April 1992, April 1993, January/February 1994, June 1995, November 1996 and November 1997. The draft Regulations were considered for the first time at the seventh session, although certain of the Rules had been submitted to the sixth session. Following the seventh session, the International Bureau prepared further drafts of the new Act and the Regulations in the light of the comments of that session; in particular, several provisions were transferred from the Act to the Regulations. These drafts were circulated to those who had participated in the seventh session; the present documents take account of comments received.

3. The question of the right to vote in the Assembly, which was reserved in previous drafts of the new Act, is still reserved in the present document (see Article 24). A further document regarding that particular issue (containing possibly one or several alternative draft provisions) will be distributed early in 1999.

[Draft New Act follows]

• INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS

• Article 1
  Abbreviated Expressions
• Article 2
  Applicability of Other Protection Accorded by Laws of Contracting Parties and of Certain International Treaties

• CHAPTER I
  INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION AND INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION

• Article 3
  Entitlement to File an International Application
• Article 4
  Procedure for Filing the International Application
• Article 5
  Contents of the International Application
• Article 6
  Priority
• Article 7
  Designation Fees
• Article 8
  Correction of Irregularities
• Article 9
  International Registration, Date of the International Registration and Publication
• Article 10
  Deferment of Publication
• Article 11
  Refusal of Effects;  Remedies Against Refusals
• Article 12
  Effects of the International Registration
• Article 13
  Invalidation
• Article 14
  Recording of Changes and Other Matters Concerning International Registrations
• Article 15
  Term and Renewal of the International Registration
• Article 16
  Information Concerning Published International Registrations

• CHAPTER II
  SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO CONTRACTING PARTIES WITH EXAMINING OFFICES

• Article 17
  Additional Mandatory Contents of the International Application
• Article 18
  Special Requirements Concerning Unity of Design
• Article 19
  Confidential Copies of International Registrations Whose Publication Is Deferred
• Article 20
  Republication of the Industrial Design

• CHAPTER III
  ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

• Article 21
  Common Office of Several States
• Article 22
  Membership of the Hague Union
• Article 23
  Acceptance of Provisions of the Complementary Act of 1967
• Article 24
  Voting in the Assembly
• Article 25
  Regulations

• CHAPTER IV
  REVISION

• Article 26
  Revision of This Act

• CHAPTER V
  FINAL PROVISIONS

• Article 27
  Becoming Party to This Act
• Article 28
  Effective Date of Ratifications and Accessions
• Article 29
  Prohibition of Reservations
• Article 30
  Declarations Made by Contracting Parties
• Article 31
  Applicability of the 1934 and 1960 Acts
• Article 32
  Denunciation of This Act
• Article 33
  Languages of This Act;  Signature
• Article 34
  Depositary