Registration of industrial designs in Estonia – Every company that owns an industrial design and intends to expand its business in the Estonian market should use the Estonian intellectual property system. It is paramount for businesses to file an industrial design application in Estonia for industrial designs, even if the launch of the respective product in the Estonian market has not yet commenced.
Requirements for application for registration of industrial designs in Estonia
The official language when registering an industrial design at the Estonian Intellectual Property Office is Estonian. It is also possible to apply in another language. In this case, a translation must be provided within 2 months of applying.
The following information and documents need to be provided in the application for registration of an industrial design in Estonia:
- requirements for registration of industrial designs in Estonia;
- name, address, and nationality of the applicant, business;
- industrial design name;
- industrial design template.
If priority is requested, a certified copy of the Priority Document must be provided within 9 months of the priority date. If the Priority Document is prepared in a language other than Estonian, the IP office may request a translation of the priority document.
Legalization or notarization of Power of Attorney is not required. A power of attorney is not a mandatory document, however, the IP office may request it at any stage in the application examination process.
The time limit for filing an industrial design application for the right of priority is 6 months from the date of priority. The above period cannot be extended.
Examination of industrial design applications in Estonia
The Estonian IP Office only examines industrial design applications according to the formal requirements.
Validity period and renewal of industrial designs in Estonia
The renewal period for novelty for industrial designs in Estonia is 12 months before the filing of the application, or before the priority date if priority is claimed. If industrial design information is disclosed by an applicant or by a third party that directly or indirectly obtains design information from the applicant, against or against his or her will, this does not disqualify the applicant. remove the novelty of the design.
Official granting fees are not specified. The validity period of industrial designs in Estonia is 5 years from the filing date. This term can be renewed every 5 years for a maximum period of 25 years. The maintenance fee for the first five-year period of the industrial design’s validity is included in the final filing fee. Renewal requests must be submitted within 6 months before the registration deadline date. This fee can be deferred for 6 months by paying a corresponding surcharge.
The average registration time from application submission to the successful registration of an industrial design in Estonia is 18-24 months if the registration goes smoothly.
Represented by an industrial design registration attorney
International applicants for industrial design registration in Estonia should conduct an industrial design search in Estonia through a law firm, or an experienced industrial design attorney.
You can find the list to Estonia IP Firms here.