Industrial designs are applied to the wide variety of products of industry and handicraft.
Why protect Industrial Design?
Because it is what makes an article attractive and appealing resulting in increased commercial value of the product and its marketability. Therefore, by protecting the design, the owner is assured an exclusive right against unauthorized copying or imitation of the design by the third parties. This helps to ensure a fair return on investment for the owner.
Industrial Design registration is granted by a national IP office which comes under the Department of Trade and Industry. Like in PNG, it is the Intellectual Property Office of Papua New Guinea (IPOPNG) that registers the design.
How long is the term of protection?
The term of protection is generally five years, with a possibility of 2 further renewals at 5 year intervals up to 15 years in total for registered design.
It is vital to note that IPOPNG is not a member of the Hague Agreement therefore; any registration sought is within the national boundaries of Papua New Guinea .
To what does Industrial Design Apply?
Industrial Design refers to the;
In most countries, an industrial design must be registered in order to be protected under the industrial design law of that country/state.
What are the requirements for registration?
Different countries have variations in the registration requirements and process. In PNG, to be registrable, the design must be "new" or "original" which means that no identical or very similar design is known to have existed before.