National Models and Designs

In order to prepare the application for a Design or Model (single or multiple), a name and drawings or photographic reproductions are required. A power of attorney is also required.

Applications for models are available for public inspection immediately after filing, however it is possible to defer public vision thereof until twelve months from the filing date, upon express request, which should be made upon filing.

Designs and Models
Duration: 25 years from the filing date.

Multiple Models
Duration: 25 years from the filing date.

A single application for a multiple model enables up to one hundred models to be protected, on the condition that they belong to the same class of the International Classification of models (the Locarno Classification applies).

- An application for a model and/or multiple models is initially valid for a period of five years;
- The validity of the registration may be extended up to a maximum of twenty five years; the registration can therefore be renewed for four successive periods of 5 years;

Filing duties and five year maintenance duties are payable. The latter are payable for the second and for the third, fourth and fifth five year periods. The maintenance duties become payable after the first and thus after the second, third and fourth periods, more specifically, on the fifth, tenth, fifteenth and twentieth anniversaries of the filing date.

Novelty at the filing date (or the priority date, if claimed) is a requisite although a one year grace period is allowed.

The priority period is of six months.

The power of attorney and formal drawings must be filed within two months from the filing date, if the right to do so has been expressly reserved.

In the event that the priority of a design or model application is claimed, an authentic copy of the priority application must be filed within the non-extendable deadline of six months from the filing date of the Italian application.

If the holder of the foreign priority application is different from the applicant for the Italian application, an assignment of priority rights is required with effect from on a date prior to the filing date of the Italian application; for more on the formal aspects, please see the section on “Assignment, Licences etc”.