Representatives of Kyrgyzpatent and the Eurasian Patent Office (EAPO) discussed the legal protection of industrial designs in the Eurasian region. The seminar “Legal Protection of Industrial Designs: Development of the System for Legal Protection of Industrial Designs in the Eurasian Region” was held in the Kyrgyz Republic. It was attended by entrepreneurs, national craftsmen, lawyers and examiners in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.

“The legal protection of intellectual property plays a key role in ensuring sustainable economic growth in a rapidly changing world where innovation is a driver of progress. Today we are here not just to discuss the current system for legal protection of industrial designs but also to better comprehend its importance in promoting creativity and technological progress in our region,” stated Rakhat Kerimbaeva, Director of Kyrgyzpatent.

The main concern of fashion designers is whether it is reasonable to register the design of a rapidly updated line of clothing as an industrial design. The EAPO examiners believe that in this case it is better to patent “graphic images”, “logos”, “ornaments” with an indication of the items that will include them.

When it comes to quickly evolving seasonal designs for apparel and accessories, patenting is certainly debatable. But when it comes to a particular element, which is presented in different collections and allows to distinguish designers from each other, it is necessary to consider the protection of such an element.

The speakers also described the specifics of patenting design solutions in the digital environment. They noted that the demand for the protection of the graphic user interface, including the design of websites, mobile applications, and animated characters, has recently increased.