Registration of Community Industrial Design (RCD)
Our dedicated team of qualified European Design Attorneys with substantial background in the design domain assists with the registration of designs of companies and individuals
contemplating expanding their business across the European Union and at the same time keeping their products’ prominent uniqueness.
It is out of discussion that a registered industrial design presents a valuable commercial asset, which IP object per se is often neglected when preparing strategies for management and use of intellectual property rights. The Community Design registration procedure is quick, unified and cost-effective. As a consequence, it can rapidly become a powerful tool for preventing the competition from using the same or similar vision, which in turn will enhance the competitiveness and generate significant profit to its proprietor.
Although the whole process for obtaining a Community Industrial Design (RCD) is extremely fast, it only takes between 1-2 days, it is not a routine administrative matter and may contain many pitfalls. Thus, our expertise is here to help you obtaining legally binding protection of your creative products’ appearance in one-go, avoiding any obstacles and without imposing additional costs.
M.Sc. Konstantin Tahtadjiev is Qualified European Design Attorney with extensive experience and qualifications in the field of industrial designs.
Thus we are capable of conducting filing and prosecution of applications for registration of European industrial designs before the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Not only do our design services encompass filing and prosecution of applications for registration of Community Industrial Designs (RCD) before the EUIPO, but also maintenance, transfer of rights for EU industrial design, Industrial design license agreements, enforcement and counseling on the protected rights.
We independently take into account the priorities of each client and support them throughout the process of registration of their aesthetic creation being it within the boundaries of one country, the European Union and/or globally, by either filing application for Registration of International Industrial Design with WIPO or for Registration of Bulgarian Industrial Design with BPO.
Our identification with the requirements of our clients reveals itself in detail, showing our industrial design competence and individuality derived from our personality and dedication.
OUR PROCESS OF REGISTRATION OF A EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN:
* REMARKS: 1) This is an approximate time scale; 2) Attorney fees are not included and all official fees are tentative
Getting acquainted with your business goals
0 WEEKS
Getting acquainted with your territorial goals, budget and products that you offer and their respective designs and aesthetic concepts.
Initial assessment of the design
0 WEEKS
Initial assessment of the design per se and providing objective legal opinion on its registrability. In case your design is not considered to be a design, we provide you with recommendations as to how to protect it via alternative IP objects or how to convert it into design.
Preliminary Design Search
2-10 BUSINESS DAYS
We conduct preliminary design searches for novelty and collision with identical or confusingly similar earlier design rights for the territory of the European Union. The duration of the search could be different depending on the needs of the clients. Urgent searches are usually not free of charge.
Analysing the results from the preliminary search
5-10 BUSINESS DAYS
We strive to provide as objective as possible legal opinion on design’s chances for registration success based on the results, which are never 100% exhaustive.We are transparent and strive to “open your eyes” by not hiding the problematic results. On the contrary, we are objective with the negative results (if any) and provide you with our advice and recommendations for designing around the possible collisions. Otherwise, your registered design might turn out to be a wrong investment and possibly detrimental for your business in the long run.
Filing an application for Registration of Community Industrial Design
2-10 BUSINESS DAYS FROM STEP 1 / FILING DATE ACCORDED
After receiving a “green light” from the design search and our client, we meticulously prepare a legally strong application for protection of your design and coordinate it with you for a final approval. Upon acknowledgement of the final approval, we proceed further with filing and prosecution of the EU design application with EUIPO. The Official fees due at the filing stage amount to 350 EUR and cover 1 design only. In case of filing a multiple application, additional fee of 175 EUR is also levied for each design between the 2nd and 10th, and 80 EUR for the 11th and each subsequent design. Our filing report is forwarded to the client.
Registration and issuance of European design Registration Certificate
1-2 DAYS FROM ID FILING DATE
Your Community Design is registered, published as registered in the Community Designs Bulletin and entered in the registers of the Community Designs. The issued electronic RCD design registration certificate is forwarded to the client together with our ID reports on registration. The prosecution process is closed and your design is duly recorded in our database system for monitoring its term of protection. The design owner acquires protection for a period of 5 years calculated as of the date of filing.
EU Design Renewal
5 YEARS FROM THE FILING DATE
Upon completion of your EU design registration (step 6), your European design details are entered in our files and we subsequently send you timely reminders for the design renewal – in due time before the 5 year period of protection of your registered Community design. The registration may be renewed for 4 consecutive periods of 5 years, maximum 25 years as from the filing date. The official fees for Community Design Renewal amount to 90 EUR for first renewal; 120 EUR for second renewal, 150 EUR for third renewal and 180 EUR for fourth renewal, per design, included or not in a multiple registration.
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EQE qualified European Patent & Trademark Attorney | Bulgarian Patent & Trademark Attorney