Master Italian Design Patents!
Guide for Italian Design
A design in Italy refers to the appearance of a product or part of a product, particularly features derived from lines, contours, colors, shapes, textures, or materials of the product or its ornamentation. The design must be new and possess individual character. UIBM conducts formality examination only (no substantive examination). Multiple designs may be filed in one application, provided the products belong to the same Locarno class. The official fees must be paid on the same day as filing. The filing date will be recognized only after payment is made.
Authority:
Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM), https://uibm.mise.gov.it/index.php/en/
Required Documents:
- Représentations / Pictures
- Brief description (in Italian)
- Power of Attorney (scanned copy).
- Priority document (scanned copy with Italian translation or DAS code)
- Ownership declaration / employment certificate / assignment of priority rights
- Official fee payment receipt
- Declaration of translation accuracy (for the Italian version)
Term of Protection:
- 5 years, renewable four times, for a maximum of 25 years in total.
Filing Deadlines:
- Within 6 months from the earliest priority date.
Special Notes:
- If a design also serves a functional purpose, the applicant may file both a utility model and a design application. Two separate applications are required, each conferring independent rights. If a design application includes a request for utility model protection, UIBM will invite the applicant to clarify or limit the filing. Alternatively, the applicant may submit a separate utility model application, which retains the original filing date.
- Applicants may request deferred publication for up to 30 months from the filing or priority date. During this confidentiality period, the design remains undisclosed and unexamined. The request must be filed together with the new application. If no deferral is requested, the application will be published the day after filing. Once published, no deferral request can be made.
- UIBM allows the title of the invention or design to be amended only if the original wording is erroneous or fictitious.
Renewal Fees:
- For each 5-year protection period, a renewal fee must be paid before its expiration, specifically at the beginning of the 6th, 11th, 16th, and 21st years. Late payment within a 6-month grace period is allowed with an additional €100 surcharge.
Grant Timeline:
- Average registration time: 6–8 months.