Overview of Benelux Design Patents?

On February 25th, 2005, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg signed the Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property Rights (Trademarks and Designs) (hereinafter referred to as the Benelux Convention), which replaced the previous Benelux Convention on Trademarks (1962) and the Benelux Convention on Designs (1966). The Convention entered into force on September 6, 2006.

According to the Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property, the three countries established the Benelux Intellectual Property Organization. The organization is supervised by an executive committee composed of representatives of three member states, and its responsibilities are as follows: (1) Implementing the Convention and related implementation rules; (2) Promoting the protection of trademarks and designs in Benelux countries; (3) Perform other tasks assigned by the Executive Committee; (4) Evaluate and revise the laws on trademarks and designs according to international, regional and other developments. The headquarters of the organization is located in The Hague.

The whole or partial appearance of a product, including the appearance formed by features such as lines, outlines, colors, shapes, textures, materials and decorations, may apply for design registration.