Theory and practice of intellectual property
№ 4 / 2020

ISSN (Print) 2308-0361
ISSN (Online) 2519-2744

PDF (Ukrainian)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33731/42020.216941

Published      2020-11-23

New Institute of Intellectual Property Law in Ukraine — Unregistered Industrial Design

Oleksandr Doroshenko
Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2542-2328

Liudmyla Rabotiahova
Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5450-1607

Abstract
The article discusses the main provisions of the institution of intellectual property law — an unregistered industrial design, which was introduced into the legislation of Ukraine through the implementation of the provisions of Art. 212–217 Chapter 9 «Intellectual Property» of the Association Agreement between Ukraine, on the one hand, and the European Union, the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, on the other hand, and harmonization with the norms of Directive 98/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 on the legal protection of designs and Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 of 12 December 2001 on Community designs.

The authors analyzed the main features of the legal protection of industrial designs as unregistered industrial designs, namely: without registration for a short period of time, with a limited scope of rights. The legal regulation of the protection of an unregistered industrial design in Ukraine is similar to the legal regulation of an unregistered industrial design of the Community and has the same advantages and disadvantages.

Since the Community Design Regulation came into force, one important question has always lingered: can a design which is first disclosed outside the EU territory be protected by an unregistered Community design right when it is subsequently disclosed within the EU? The UK court’s recent reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union may finally will answer this question. The same question arises in relation to an unregistered industrial design in accordance with the new legislation of Ukraine and requires further clarification in law enforcement practice.

Of equal interest is a date for assessing the novelty of a design. Is the date for assessing the novelty of a design for which unregistered Community design protection is the date on which the unregistered Community design protection for the design came into being according to the Regulation, or alternatively the date on which the relevant event of disclosure of the design could reasonably have become known in the normal course of business to the circles specialized in the sector concerned, operating within the Community, or alternatively some other, and if so, which date?

Keywords: unregistered industrial design, unregistered industrial design of the Community, novelty, individual character, first made available to the public

References

Про внесення змін до деяких законодавчих актів України щодо посилення охорони і захисту прав на торговельні марки і промислові зразки та боротьби з патентними зловживаннями : Закон України від 21.07.2020 № 815-IX. Офіційний вісник України. 2020. № 67. С. 248. Ст. 2148.

Мельников В. М. Охрана зарегистрированных и незарегистрированных промышленных образцов за рубежом: законодательство и судебная практика. Москва : ПАТЕНТ, 2008. 88 с.

Дозорцев В. А. Интеллектуальные права: Понятие. Система. Задачи кодификации. Москва : Статут, 2003. 416 с.

C-479/12 (Gautzsch). Judgment of 13 Feb 2014.
https://ipcuria.eu/case?reference=C-479/12

Kashif Syed Unregistered design right questions referred to the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) on design disclosure and novelty. What will the answers mean for designers marketing their products? October 2019.
https://www.beckgreener.com/unregistered-design-right-questions-referred-court-justice-eu-cjeu-design-disclosure-and-novelty

Case I ZR 126/06 – Gebäckpresse/Press For Bakery Products.
https://www.mondaq.com/germany/trademark/76246/german-federal-supreme-court-renders-its-first-decision-on-substantive-community-design-law-decision-of-october-9-2008-case-i-zr-12606-gebckpressepress-for-bakery-products

Florian Traub EU court asked to clarify unregistered design rights issues. Out-Law, 23 Sep 2019.
https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/eu-court-asked-to-clarify-unregistered-design-rights-issues/

Unregistered Community Design update: UK court refers ‘Squeezamals’ case to the CJEU. Written on 4 Oct 2019.
https://www.osborneclarke.com/insights/unregistered-community-design-update-uk-court-refers-squeezamals-case-cjeu/

Gregory Carty-Hornsby Unregistered Designs and the Question of First Disclosure. 17 October 2019.
https://www.marks-clerk.com/Home/Knowledge-News/Articles/Unregistered-Designs-and-the-Question-of-First-Dis.aspx