The Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs allows you to protect a design in many different countries through a single application to the World Intellectual Property Organization.
International registrations are assessed by each country and, if accepted, will take effect in those countries. Some IP offices issue a statement of grant of protection (SOG) to indicate they have accepted an international registration.
The IPO started issuing SOGs on a trial basis in February 2024.
Customers have told us these statements are useful because they provide evidence and faster certainty that an international design registration has been accepted. The statements may also assist design owners wishing to enforce their design registration.
They are useful to WIPO as they provide an indication that we have examined and approved an application. This approach also aligns the IPO to the SOG notification approach taken by many other national offices.
Following the success of the trial we have decided to continue issuing these statements.
To assist design owners, we have also issued a general SOG which is reproduced below. This general SOG applies to international registrations accepted before the trial which have not already been the subject of an SOG. Owners can request an individual SOG which will confirm the information already provided in the general SOG by emailing: DesignsExamination@ipo.gov.uk.