Industrial Designs

Subject matter claimed as an industrial design shall be granted legal protection, provided that it is novel and original.

An industrial design shall be recognized as novel, if all its essential features are unknown from the information made generally accessible in the world before the priority date of the industrial design.

In establishing the novelty of an industrial design, withdrawn applications for the grant of a patent, filed with an earlier priority, shall also be taken into account.

An industrial design shall be recognized as original, if all its essential features condition the technical character of the features of the article.

The public disclosure of information relating to an industrial design, by the inventor, applicant or any person who has received this information therefrom, either directly or indirectly, shall not be recognized as a circumstance hindering the recognition of the patentability of the industrial design, if the application for the grant of a patent for the industrial design has been filed with the Patent Office not later than six months from the date of disclosure of the information. In that regard, the obligation to prove the fact in question shall lie with the inventor and the applicant.