OTTAWA – Canada has joined the Hague agreement, an international treaty that allows intellectual property rights holders to register designs across participating jurisdictions through a single international application.
"In acceding to this agreement, our government is helping Canadian businesses protect their creations and ideas on the international stage”, said Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains, in a statement. “These tools help Canadian businesses and creators thrive in the competitive global marketplace and create good middle-class jobs for Canadians."
The Hague Agreement allows applicants from member countries to register up to 100 industrial designs in multiple jurisdictions using a single application, language and currency. There are 69 countries and regional associations in the Hague System, including Canadian trading partners like the United States, the European Union, South Korea and Japan.
The system is managed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
"WIPO is delighted that Canada, one of the world's leading economies, has joined the Hague System, making the System even more attractive for existing and future members”, added WIPO director general Francis Gurry. “We look forward to further expansion of the Hague System so it becomes a truly international arrangement that facilitates the process of seeking design protection for designers the world over."
