Industrial design registration in Taiwan

Industrial design registration in Taiwan

Registration of industrial designs in Taiwan – Every company that owns an industrial design and intends to expand its business in the market in Taiwan should use Taiwan’s intellectual property system. It is paramount for businesses to file an industrial design application in Taiwan for industrial designs, even if the launch of the respective product on the market in Taiwan has not yet commenced. 

Requirements for industrial design registration application in Taiwan

An industrial design application in Taiwan requesting the right of priority must be filed within 6 months from the priority date. This period cannot be extended. 

The official language when registering an industrial design at the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office is Taiwanese Mandarin

The following information and documents need to be provided in the application for registration of an industrial design in Taiwan: 

  • name, address, and nationality of the applicant, business address; 
  • image of the designs. 

A copy of the simply signed Power of Attorney must be submitted within 2 months from the request date of the Taiwan IP office. There is no need to legalize or notarize this document. 

If priority is requested, a certified copy of the priority document is not required but can be requested by the PTO. 

Examination of an industrial design application in Taiwan

The substantive examination of an industrial design registration application in Taiwan must be requested on the date of filing the design application.

Validity period and renewal of industrial designs in Taiwan

The renewal period for the novelty of an industrial design in Taiwan is 12 months before the filing date or the priority date. 

The official fees for the grant, as well as the initial 5-year validity period, are included in the filing fee. In Taiwan, the validity period of an industrial design is five years from the filing date, which can be extended up to four times (for a total of 25 years). The registration holder must file a renewal request during the last year of each five-year protection term for continued renewal.

Represented by an industrial design registration attorney 

An international applicant for an industrial design registration in Taiwan should perform an industrial design search in Taiwan through a law firm, or an industrial design attorney.