Designs

– Act of June 20, 1955, amended by Act of November 5, 1956.
– Application Ordinance of January 30, 1957.

Membership in International Conventions

– Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, Stockholm Act, since April 29, 1956.
– Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs, Stockholm Act, and Geneva Act since June 9, 2011.
– Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), since March 3, 1975.
– The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille), since December 31, 2002.

Filing

Definition: every novel design, new plastic form or industrial product with a novel appearance can be protected.

Foreigners: protection is the same as for nationals. Applicants not residing nor established in Monaco must appoint an agent to represent them.

Secrecy: can be safeguarded for five years by filing the design under a sealed envelope (envelope Soleau).

Filing requirements for an application (to be sent to resident agent):
1. Application signed by applicant or attorney;
2. 2 representations of each design (max. 50 designs in one application) size: 21 x 27 cm or 21 x 31 cm;
3. Power of attorney (unlegalized);
4. The applicant may file a description (4 copies) or samples (with an additional fee).

Electronic filing: not available.

For a change of name or address: power of attorney (original executed document, no legalization).

Examination and Granting

Examination: formal only.

Granting: registration is published in the “Journal de Monaco”.

Delivery of document: the granting certificate is issued in paper format only and must be collected from the Monegasque Office.

Duration – renewal: ten years, renewable for ten-year periods. Maximum duration cannot exceed fifty years from filing or from prior publication date.

Opposition – cancellation: not provided for.