2025 was a landmark year for the Hague System, marking 100 years of international design protection. WIPO celebrated the centenary with a hybrid symposium in The Hague, showcasing the System’s evolution into a modern, global mechanism for protecting designs.
A record year in many aspects, 2025 was also marked by significant modernization, with the Hague Act (1960) frozen and eHague upgraded with new digital tools for faster, more efficient design management.
Celebrating 100 years of design protection
The 100th anniversary of the Hague System was marked with a series of global events and initiatives:
- A hybrid symposium in The Hague with participation from IP Offices of Hague members, users, and stakeholders.
- A commemorative publication showcasing the System’s evolution and achievements.
- A short film and a global awareness campaign to highlight the Hague System’s impact and modernization.
- Public engagement and outreach initiatives to increase awareness among SMEs, designers and new audiences worldwide.
The centenary reinforced the Hague System’s role as a modern, accessible and globally coherent framework for design protection.
Key achievements in 2025
- A major structural change was the freeze of the Hague Act (1960), which took effect on January 1, 2025. This marked the first year in which the Hague System operated solely under the Geneva Act (1999), simplifying the legal framework and making international design protection clearer and more accessible for applicants and IP Offices.
- Amendments to the Administrative Instructions also entered into force on January 1, 2025. Notably, graphical disclaimers now require a supporting statement in the description, ensuring consistent practice across Offices.
- The Hague System’s modernization agenda advanced through the work of the Legal Development Working Group, which continued shaping proposals on new digital representation formats, multi-class filings and other procedural updates to keep the System user-friendly and flexible.
- Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan joined the Hague System, expanding its coverage to 99 countries across 82 members.
Enhancing eHague and digital services
The eHague platform was improved to make filing and management faster, safer and more efficient:
- Secure Messaging and Sharing Transactions enable applicants to communicate directly with examiners and collaborate with multiple users.
- The International Designs Bulletin (IDB) now features an updated interface and Advanced Search functionality, allowing users to conduct more targeted and efficient searches of registered designs.
- DAS Validation, fee calculations and back-office improvements enhance the reliability and speed of examination and priority claim verification.
- User interface and document upload improvements make the system more intuitive and accessible for all users.
Connecting through Stories and Podcasts
In 2025, we continued to bring the Hague System to life for our global audience with new stories and podcast episodes. The stories highlighted a wide range of designs protected under the System, showing how they work in the real world and how they can help users gain wider market recognition and strengthen global competitiveness. Meanwhile, the podcasts featured insights from experts, designers and policymakers, offering practical guidance and inspiration.
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Looking ahead to 2026
Building on the momentum of our centennial year, we will continue strengthening the Hague System as a modern, accessible and user-focused route for international design protection. In 2026, our focus will be on:
- Expanding the System’s reach by working with new jurisdictions and broadening global access to international design protection.
- Advancing legal and technical modernization, including continued discussions on expanded digital representation formats for 3D, GUI and motion designs.
- Enhancing digital tools and platforms, with further improvements to eHague, stronger search and analytics capabilities, and more intuitive user interfaces.
- Deepening outreach and engagement, through targeted communication and user-focused content.
- Maintaining operational excellence, by optimizing examination workflows, quality assurance and back-office processes to support growing application volumes.
- Strengthening customer support, with responsive service, expanded communication channels and continuous engagement to better understand and meet user needs.
Together, these priorities will strengthen the Hague System as a modern, accessible and globally coherent framework for design protection.
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Warmest wishes from all of us at the Hague Registry for a happy, healthy and creative 2026 !