Registration of industrial designs in Norway – Any company that owns an industrial design and intends to expand its business in the Norwegian market should use the Norwegian intellectual property system. It is paramount for businesses to file an industrial design application in Norway for industrial designs, even if the launch of the respective product on the market in Norway has not yet commenced.
Requirements for application for registration of industrial designs in Norway
The official language when registering an industrial design at the Norwegian Intellectual Property Office is Norwegian. The relevant industrial design applications can be filed in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, or English. If the application is filed in a language other than Norwegian, the Norwegian Office of Industrial Property may require the submission of a certified translation within the period specified by the Office.
The following information and documents need to be provided in the application for registration of an industrial design in Norway:
- requirements for registration of industrial designs in Norway;
- the applicant’s name, address, and nationality;
- industrial design name
- industrial design descriptions and samples;
- information on priority rights (if any).
Generally, there is no need to submit a Priority Document. The Norwegian Intellectual Property Office may request a certified copy of the Priority Document upon application and the deadline for submission of this document is three months from receipt of the corresponding notice.
The name and address of the representative must be included in the application signed by the applicant or in a separate Power of Attorney. No legalization or notarization is required. It may be provided concurrently with the filing or upon receipt of a corresponding request from the Patent Office.
Examination of an industrial design application in Norway
Industrial design applications in Norway only have to go through a formal examination. The applicant may request substantive examination and must pay a fee. Substantive examination requests must be made at the time of application. If the application meets the formality requirements, the industrial design will be successfully registered, regardless of the outcome of the substantive examination.
Validity period and renewal of industrial designs in Norway
Under Norwegian law, information about an industrial design by the owner or any person who receives the information directly or indirectly from the owner of the design does not disprove the novelty of the industrial design if the application is submitted within 12 months from the date of information disclosure.
There is no official grant fee in Norway. Industrial design applications in Norway are valid for five years from the date of filing. This term can be renewed for a term of every 5 years and has a maximum total term of up to 25 years.
The renewal fee for the next five-year term of an industrial design application must be paid before the expiration of the current five-year period, but no earlier than one year before expiration. This renewal fee can be paid late within 6 months after the expiry of the validity period and a corresponding surcharge is payable.
The average processing time from filing to the successful registration of an industrial design in Norway is 3 months.
Represented by an industrial design registration attorney
An international applicant for an industrial design registration in Norway should conduct an industrial design search in Norway through a law firm, or an experienced industrial design attorney.
You can see a list of Norway IP Firms here.