(Publ. 16 FEB 2022) China has joined the Hague Agreement as well as the Marrakesh Treaty. For China, both treaties will enter into force on May 5.

The Hague Agreement

On February 5th, China joined the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. By that, China is the 68th contracting party to the Geneva Act and 77th member of the Hague Union. The relevant treaty will enter into force on May 5, 2022.

Chinese residents filed a total of 795,504 designs in 2020, representing some 55% of the worldwide total. China’s entry into the Hague System will make it easier and cheaper for these designers to protect and promote their work overseas.

The Hague system offers centralized management of industrial designs through a single application and allows an applicant to register up to 100 patterns in 94 countries including the European Union. Thus, it offers a cost effective and smooth way to get protection in many markets. You get the same legal protection as if the designs were filed directly with each national office.

The Marrakesh Treaty

China’s accession to the Marrakesh Treaty comes into force on May 5, 2022. Joining the Marrakesh Treaty means that the over 17 million*) person blind and visually impaired community in China will now have even greater access to copyrighted works.

The Marrakesh Treaty was adopted on June 27, 2013, and entered into force on September 30, 2016. It is WIPO’s fasting growing treaty and now includes 85 contracting parties including China.

*) Source: Second National Sample Survey of the Handicapped in China – conducted by a leading group jointly formed by several Ministries and other entities in China, with the approval of the State Council.