TheSimilarAndDifferentRegulationsOnIndu

TheSimilarAndDifferentRegulationsOnIndu

TheSimilarAndDifferentRegulations
OnIndustrialDesigns
BetweenChinaAndCanada
HeZijing
Abstract:
WithChinaenteringWTO,moreandmoreChineseindustrialdesignerswanttoapplyinternationallytoregistertheirdesignsoutsideChina.ThispapershowsyouthedetailedcomparisonaboutregulationsconcerningindustrialdesignsbetweenChinaandCanada,givessomesuggestionsabouttheprocesstoregisterinternationallytoprotectChineseapplier.Somehintsimposedonthedifferencebetweenthetwocountrieswillhelptoimproveourpatentlaw.
KEYWORDS:
Industrialdesign,China,Canada
1.Generalintroductiononindustrialdesigns
1.1Whatisanindustrialdesign?
1.1.1OfWIPO
Anindustrialdesignistheornamentalofaestheticaspectofanjafs.Thedesignmayconsistofthree-dimensionalfeatures,suchastheshapeorsurfaceofanjafs,oroftwo-dimensionalfeatures,suchaspatterns,linesorcolor.Industrialdesignsareappliedtoawidevarietyofproductsofindustryandhandicraft.Tobeprotectedundermostnationallaws,anindustrialdesignmustappealtotheeye.Thismeansthatanindustrialdesignisprimarilyofanaestheticnature,anddoesnotprotectanytechnicalfeaturesofthejafstowhichitisapplied.
1.1.2OfCHINA
DesigninthePatentLawmeansanynewdesignoftheshape,thepatternortheircombination,orthecombinationofthecolorwithshapeorpattern,ofaproductwithcreatesanaestheticfeelinganditfitsforindustrialapplication.
1.1.3OfCANADA
Designofindustrialdesignmeansfeaturesofshape,configuration,patternorornamentandanycombinationofthosefeaturesthat,inafinishedjafs,appealtoandarejudgedsolelybytheeye.
1.2OtherformsofIntellectualProperty
InChina,Intellectualpropertycanbegenerallyclassifiedaspatent,copyright,trademark.Patents,orinotherwords,inventions-creations,meaninventions,utilitymodelsanddesigns.Sothatthedesignsareoneofthesubdivisionsofpatents.
Whereas,inCanada,inadditiontoindustrialdesigns,thereotherformsofintellectualproperty,aspatents,copyrights,andintegratedcircuittopographies.Hereby,patentscovernewinventions(process,machine,manufacture,compositionofmatter),oranynewandusefulimprovementofanexistinginvention.Sothatindustrialdesignshavetheequalstatuestopatents,asoneofthesubdivisionsofintellectualproperty.
1.3Whyprotectindustrialdesigns?
Industrialdesignsarewhatmakeanjafsattractiveandappealing;hence,theyaddtothecommercialvalueofaproductandincreaseitsmarketability.
Whenanindustrialdesignisprotected,theowner-thepersonorentitythathasregisteredthedesign-isassuredanexclusiverightagainstunauthorizedcopyingorimitationofthedesignbythirdparties.Thishelpstoensureafairreturnoninvestment.Aneffectivesystemofprotectionalsobenefitsconsumersandthepublicatlarge,bypromotingfaircompetitionandhonesttradepractices,encouragingcreativity,andpromotingmoreaestheticallyattractiveproduct.
Protectingindustrialdesignshelpseconomicdevelopment,byencouragingcreativityintheindustrialandmanufacturingsectors,aswellasinthetraditionalartsandcrafts.Theycontributetotheexpansionofcommercialactivitiesandtheexportofnationalproducts.
Industrialdesignscanberelativelysimpleandinexpensivetodevelopandprotect.Theyarereasonablyaccessibletosmallandmedium-sizedenterprisesaswellastoindividualartistsandcraftsmen,inbothindustrializedanddevelopingcountries.
1.4Howcanindustrialdesignsbeprotected?
Inmostcountries,anindustrialdesignmustberegisteredinordertobeprotectedunderIndustrialDesignLaw.AsforChina,theregulationsondesignareunderthePatentLawofPeople’sRepublicofChina(PRC)anditsimplementingregulations;AsforCanada,TheIndustrialDesignActandIndustrialDesignRegulationsdetailstheregulationsthatgoverndesignrights.Asageneralrule,toberegisterable,thedesignmustbe“new”or“original”.Differentcountrieshavevaryingdefinitionsofsuchterms,aswellasvariationsintheregistrationprocessitself.Generally,“new”meansthatnoidenticalorverysimil

ardesignisknowntohaveexistedbefore.
Dependingontheparticularnationallawandthekindofdesign,anindustrialdesignmayalsobeprotectedasaworkofartundercopyright.
2.Themaindifferenceconcerningregistration
2.1Whentofileanapplication
Thereisnotimelimitforfilinganapplicationaslongasthedesignhadneverbeenpublished.Theterm“published”meansthatthedesignhasbeenmadepublic(eventoyourneighbors)orofferedforcommercialsaleoruseanywhereinthewo

TheSimilarAndDifferentRegulationsOnIndu

rld.Itisbesttofileanquicklyaspossibleifpublicationhasoccurred.
Inchina,andesignapplicationdoesnotloseitsnoveltywhere,withinsixmonthsbeforethedateoffiling,oneofthefollowingeventsoccurred:[1]whereitwasfirstexhibitedataninternationalexhibitionsponsoredofrecognizedbytheChineseGovernment;[2]whereitwasfirstmadepublicataprescribedacademicortechnologicalmeeting;[3]whenitwasdisclosedbyanypersonwithouttheconsentoftheapplicant.
InCanada,thedesignshallberefusedtoberegisterediftheapplicationisfiledmorethanoneyearafterthepublicationofthedesigninCanadaofsomewhere.
2.2whocanapply?
OnlytheproprietorofadesignmayapplyforandobtainregistrationforanindustrialdesignbothinChinaandCanada,whilethereexistslittledifferencebetweenthetwocountriesonthequestionthatwhocanbedefinedasproprietor.[1]usuallyyouareconsideredtheproprietorifyouhavecreatedthedesign;[2]ifyouworktogetherwithotherpersontocreatadesign,youshouldfileforregistrationasjointproprietors(unlessyouareallworkingundercontractorcommission);[3]ifyouhaveacquiredownershipofadesign,thenyoumayapply;[4]ifyouareemployeeofacompanyanddevelopdesignaspartofyouremployment,thentheemployermaybetheproprietor.Inthatcase,onlytheemployermayapplyinCanada;whileinchina,theentityandtheinventororcreatormayenterintoacontractinwhichtherighttoapplyforandowntheexclusiverightisprovidedfor;[5]ifyouhavebeenhiredundercontracttodevelopdesignforsomeoneelse,thenthatpersonistheproprietorandistheonlyoneentitledtoapplyforregistrationinCanada;whereasinthatcaseinChina,therighttoapplyforregistrationbelongs,unlessotherwiseagreedupon,totheentityorindividualthatmadethedesign.
2.3Whatrequirementstomakedesignsregisterable?
InCanada,theministershallregisterthedesigniftheministerfindsthatitisnotidenticalwithordosenotsocloselyresembleanyotherdesignalreadyregisteredastobeconfoundedtherewith,andshallreturntotheproprietorthereofthedrawingorphotographanddescriptionwiththecertificaterequired.
InChina,anydesignforwhichpatentfightmaybegrantedmustnotbeidenticalwithandsimilartoanydesignwhich,beforethedateoffallinghasbeenpubliclydisclosedinpublicationsinthecountryorabroadorhasbeenpubliclyusedinthecountry,andmustnotbeinconflictwithanypriorrightofanyotherperson.
2.4Whatyoucannotregister?
InCanada,youcannotregisterthefollowingundertheIndustrialDesignAct:[1]Designsthatareutilitarianonlyandwhicharenotintendedtoprovidevisualappeal;[2]Designsthathavenofixedappearance;[3]Designsforcomponentsthatarenotclearlyvisible;[4]amethodofconstruction;[5]anidea;[6]materialsusedintheconstructionofanjafs;[7]theusefulfunctionofthejafs;or[8]color.
InChina,foranyofthefollowing,nopatentrightshallbegranted:[1]scientificdiscoveries;[2]rulesandmethodsformentalactivities;[3]methodsfordiagnosesorforthetreatmentforthediseases;[4]animalandplantvarieties;[5]substancesobtainedbymeansofnucleartransformation.
Fromtheaboveregulations,wecanseethattheChineseregulationsismoregenericforallofthethreetypesofcreation-inventions;andtheCanadian’sismorespecialindetailondesigns.Soweshouldabsorbsomeoftheminourimplementingregulationsofpatentlaw.
2.5searchingofofficerecordpriortofilinganapplication
Priortofilinganapplication,youmaywishtoconductasearchofofficerecordsinordertobetterdeterminewhetheryourdesignistrulynewandoriginal.Thiswillgiveyouthe

opportunitytoseeotherregistereddesigns.Youshouldalsokeepyourdesignconfidential.
2.6Howlongtheprocesstakes?
InCanada,theOfficedosenotregisteranydesignuntilsixmonthsafterthedateoffiling.Normallyittakesbetweeneightandtwelvemonthstohaveyourapplicationexamined.Whileinchina,thereisnosuchkindofprovisionsconcerningthetermofprocessofdesigns.
2.7Durationofprotection
Bothinthetwocountries,durationofprotectionofindustrialdesignsisforten-yearterm,whilethebeginningdateisquitedifferent.InCanada,itisthedateofregistration-usuallysixmonthsafterthedateoffiling;inchina,itisthedateoffiling.Oncetheten-yeartermhasexpired,anyoneisfreetomake,import,rentorselletc.,thedesigns.
2.8Extensionofprotection
InCanada,yourapplicationmustincludeadescriptionwhichidentifiesthefeaturesthatconstitutethedesignsincethecourtmayuseyourdescriptiontohelpdeterminethelimitsofprotectionforyourdesign,youshouldwordyourdescriptionwithcareand

TheSimilarAndDifferentRegulationsOnIndu

precision.Ifyourdescriptionistoobroad,youmayover-extendthescopeofthedesign,anditmaybeimpossibletoenforce.Ifitistoonarrow,youmaylimitthescopeofthedesignorleaveoutfeaturesthatyouintendedtoprotect.
InChina,theextendofprotectionofthepatentrightfordesignshallbedeterminedbytheproductincorporatingthepatenteddesignasshowninthedrawingsofthephotographs.
2.9Preparingyourapplication
Anapplicationforregistrationofanindustrialdesignhasthreebasicelementsas:[1]theapplicationform;[2]atleastonedrawingorphotographofthedesign;and[3]therequiredfee(s).Theapplicationmustincludeatitlethatidentifiesthefinishedjafstowhichthedesignisapplied.Itshouldbethecommonnameusedinthetrade.Thedescription,alongwithdrawingsandtitle,mustprovideanactualpictureofthedesign.
OnlyforCanada,eachindustrialdesignapplicationmustbelimitedtoasingledesignorto“variants”.Variantsaredesignswhichdonotdiffersubstantiallyfromoneanother.Youmayaddvariantsofthedesigntoyourapplicationanytimebeforeregistration.
2.10Fees
InCanada,youmustpayafeetomakeyourapplicationexaminedbytheIndustrialDesignOffice.Thereadditionalfeesformaintenanceandlatepaymentofthemaintenancefeeofdesigns.Beforetheexpiryoffive-yearsfromthedateofregistration,amaintenancefeemustbepaidortheprotectionwillcease.
Inchina,youshallanannualfeebeginningwiththeyearinwhichtheexclusiverightofdesignwasgranted.Failingtopaytheannualfeewillresultinceasingofprotectionbeforetheexpirationofitsduration.Themaintenancefeejustexistsinfieldofapplyingforapatentforinvention.Thatiswheretheapplicantforapatentforinventionhadnotbeengrantedapatentrightwithintwoyearsfromthedateoffiling;theapplicantshallpayafeeforthemaintenanceoftheapplicantfromthethirdyear.
3.Themainregulationsonprocess
3.1Thesimilarprocessofobtainingadesignregistration
Theprocessofobtainingadesignregistrationismadeupofthreedistinctphases:[1]initialprocessing(whenyoufirstfiletheapplication)[2]examination;[3]registration
3.1.1Initialprocessing
Yourapplicationwillundergopreliminaryreviewbystafftoensurethatbasicadministrativerequirementshavebeenmet.Iftheapplicationiscompleteafilingcertificatewillbeissued;thisismerelyanacknowledgementthattheapplicationhasbeenreceivedandprocessedafilingdateissued.Italsogivesyouthenumberassignedtoyourapplicationsothatyoucanrefertothatnumberinlatercorrespondence.Iftheapplicationisincomplete,youwillalsoreceiveareport,advisingyouofwhatisrequiredtocompleteit.EveryreportissuedbytheOfficewillgiveaduedateforreply.Ifyoudonotreplybythatduedateyourapplicationwillbeconsideredabandoned.
3.1.2examination
Thefirststepinthisphaseoftheprocessistheclassificationofyourapplicationaccordingtotheparticulartypeofjafstowhichitrelates.Thisisfollowedbyaformalassessmentbyanexaminerwhowillstudyyourdescriptionanddrawingsorphotographs.Thiswillthenbecomparedwithpr

eviouslyregistereddesignsanddesignspublishedanywhereintheworldtoensurethatyourdesigninoriginalorregisterable.Youdesigncannotbethesameorsimilartoadesignalreadyappliedtoasimilarjafsofmanufacture.Thewordingofthedescriptionwillalsobeconsideredtoseethatitactuallyandadequatelydescribesthedesignfeaturesshowninthedrawings.Followingthisassignmenttheexaminerwilleitherallowtheapplicationforregistrationorissueareport.Thereportwilloutlinetheexaminer’sfindingsandtellyouwhatinformationoramendmentsarerequired.
Shoulddifferentpeopleapplytoregisteressentiallythesamedesign,theOfficewillexaminetheapplicationsonafirst-come,first-servedbasis.Theapplicationwiththeearlierfilingdatewillberegistered.
3.1.3registration
Onceapprovedbytheexamineryourdesignwillberegisteredassoonaspossibleprovidedyouhavenotrequesteddelayedregistration.Youwillreceiveacertificateofregistration.Thiscertificateisevidenceofownershipandtheoriginalityofyourdesignandgivesyoutheexclusiverighttomake,importfortradeorbusiness,rentorsellorexposeforsaleorrent,anyjafsinrespectofwhichthedesignisregisteredandtowhichthedesignisapplied.
3.2Thedifferentprocessofobtainingadesignregistration
TheprocessofrequestsfordelayedregistrationonlyexistinCanada.Itispossiblethatyoumaywanttodelayregistration.Forexample,youmaywishtoallowtimetomarketorfileyourdesignoutofCanada.Inthiscase,youshouldinformtheOfficeinwriting.Youmayexercisetheoption

TheSimilarAndDifferentRegulationsOnIndu

todelayregistrationatthetimeoffilingyourapplicationoratanytimebeforeitisregistered.
4.Themainregulationsonproprietor’srights
4.1Markingrightsonaproductorit’spacking
Thepatenteehastherighttoaffixapatentmarkingandtoindicatethenumberofthepatentonthepatentedproductoronthepackingofthatproduct.Youdonothavetomarkyourdesigninordertoindicatethatitisregisteredasadesign,butmarkingdosegiveyouextraprotection.Thepropermarkisacapital“D”insideacircleandthename,orabbreviationthereof,ofthedesign’sproprietoronthejafs,itslabelorpackaging.
4.2Enforcingyourrightsfrominfringement
Asproprietor,youmaytakelegalactionagainstanyonewhoinfringesyourdesigninCanada,itisyourresponsibilitytotakesuchactionandyoumustdosowithinthreeyearsoftheallegedinfringement.
InChinawhereadisputearisesasaresultoftheexploitationofapatentwithouttheauthorizationofpatentee,thatis,theinfringementofthepatentrightofthepatentee,itshallbetitledthroughconsultationbytheparties.Wherethepartiesarenotwillingtoconsultwitheachotherorwheretheconsultationfails,thepatenteeoranyinterestedpartymayinstitutelegalproceedingsinthePeople’scourtorrequesttheadministrativeauthorityfallpatentaffairstohandlethematter.Prescriptionforinstitutinglegalproceedingsconcerningtheinfringementofpatentrightistwoyearscountedfromthedateonwhichthepatenteeofanyinterestedpartyobtainsorshouldhaveobtainedknowledgeoftheinfringingact.
4.3Marketingrights
Inbothcountries,astheproprietorofaregisteredindustrialdesign,youhavetheexclusiverighttomake,importfortradeorbusiness,rentorsellaproductincorporatingthatorasimilardesign.Youmayalsosellallorsomeofyourrightstoothers(thisisreferredtoasanassignment)or,youcansimplyauthorizeotherstousethedesignsubjecttostatedconditions(thisisreferredtoasalicense).
4.4Registrationoutsidethenativecountryorforinternationalprotection
Generally,industrialdesignprotectionislimitedtothecountryinwhichprotectionisgranted.UndertheHagueAgreementConcerningtheInternationalDepositofIndustrialDesigns,aWIPO-administeredtreaty,aprocedureforaninternationalregistrationisoffered.AnapplicantcanfileasingleinternationaldepositeitherwithWIPOofthenationalofficeofacountrywhichispartytothetreaty.Thedesignwillthenbeprotectedinasmanymembercountriesofthetreatyastheapplicantwishes.
Itisimportanttonotethatinsomecountriesyourapplicationcouldbere

jectedifyouorsomeoneelsehaspreviouslyregisteredthedesign.
4.5Priorityrights
ProceduresforobtaininginternationaldesignrightsarepartiallygovernedbyaninternationaltreatycalledtheParisConventionfortheProtectionofIndustrialProperty.TheParisConvention,whichhassome90membercountries,includingCanada,allowsapplicantstoinvokewhatiscalled“conventionpriority”.ThismeansthatsomeonewhohasfiledfordesignregistrationinoneConventioncountryhassixmonthsinwhichtofileanapplicationforthedesigninanothercountryandbeaccordedthesamerightsasifh/shehadfiledinthesecondcountryontheoriginalfilingdate.
References:
lIndustrialDesignActofCanada(R.S.1985,c.1-9)
lIndustrialDesignsRegulationsofCanada(1-9-SOR/99-460)
lPatentLawofthePeople’sRepublicofChina(AmendedonAugust25,2000)
lImplementingRegulationsofthePatentlawofthePeople’sRepublicofChina(PromulgatedonJune15,xxxx)
lParisConventionfortheProtectionofIndustrialProperty.
lPatentCooperateTreaty