Registration of industrial designs in Lithuania – Every company that owns an industrial design and intends to expand its business in the Lithuanian market should use the Lithuanian intellectual property system. It is paramount for businesses to file an industrial design application in Lithuania for industrial designs, even if the launch of the respective product on the market in Lithuania has not yet commenced.
Requirements for Industrial Design Registration Application in Lithuania
An industrial design application in Lithuania requesting the right of priority must be filed within 6 months from the priority date.
The official language of the proceedings before the patent office is Lithuanian; however, the application can be submitted in another language if the translation is filed within three months after the filing date.
The following information and documents need to be provided in the application for registration of an industrial design in Lithuania:
- name, address, and nationality of the applicant, business address;
- request for design registration;
- representation of a design.
A certified copy of the Priority Document shall be filed either at the time of filing or within three months after filing.
If the applicant is a natural person, the original of a merely signed Power of Attorney or a stamped and signed Power of Attorney shall be filed within three months of filing a design application in Lithuania.
The documentation proving the permission to file a design application as well as the statement about the design’s authorship should be given.
Examination of an Industrial Design Application in Lithuania
Applications are examined to ensure that they meet the formal criteria. It is also determined if the applied design is registrable under Lithuanian law. Because no substantive examination is required, designs are registered at the applicant’s liability. The examination fee and examination request are also not specified.
Validity period and renewal of industrial designs in Lithuania
According to Lithuanian law, disclosing information regarding an industrial design within 12 months of the filing or priority date (if any) does not invalidate its novelty.
In Lithuania, design registration is valid for five years from the filing date. This term may be renewed every five years for a total of 25 years. Renewal fees are due every five years, with the initial renewal fee included in the registration and publication fees. Additional renewal fees must be paid within six months after the previous design validity year. Within a 6-month grace period, late payments are permitted with a 50% fee.
The design registration procedure usually takes 6-12 months.
Represented by an industrial design registration attorney
An international applicant for an industrial design registration in Lithuania should perform an industrial design search in Lithuania through a law firm, or an industrial design attorney.
You can see the list of Lithuania IP Firms here.
