1. What does a design protect?
2. Who may submit an application for a design?
3. What are the application requirements for a design?
4. What does a design application procedure involve?
5. What is the duration of design protection and what administrative fees apply?

1. What does a design protect?

A design protects the appearance of an industrial or craft product or its parts (features of the lines, contours, colours, shape, texture or materials of a product itself or its ornamentation), which is new and has individual character. The technical, construction, functional or material entities of the product are not subject to protection. Design protection is of a territorial character; i.e. it is valid only within the territory of the country where protection was granted, however, an application may be filed in almost every country (if it is filed within 6 month from the date of the first filing, priority shall be established based on the original filing).

2. Who may submit an application for a design?

• Designers (or their representatives);
• legal representatives of designers;
• employers, if a designer developed the design as a result of the performance of duties during employment (so-called company design).

3. What are the application requirements for a design?

• Applications for registration of a design shall be submitted on a prescribed form (the form is available only in Slovak),
• Identification data of the applicant,
• Identification data of the designer or a declaration of the applicant that the designer has waived the right to be mentioned in the application,
• Indication of the product in which the design is incorporated or applied,
• Representation of any design, the registration of which is sought in an application and from which the substance of the design can be clearly distinguished,
• A document on acquiring the right to the design, if the applicant is not the designer, or the information that an employee (company) design is subject to the application.
• The application filing is subject to payment of an administrative fee.

4. What does a design application procedure involve?

• The application shall be submitted in person to the filing office of the Industrial Property Office in Banská Bystrica, by post to the Office’s address in Banská Bystrica or electronically (the electronic service is available only in Slovak).
• The Office shall examine the application.
• The Office shall register the design in the Design Registry and notify the registration in the Official Gazette.

5. What is the duration of design protection and what administrative fees apply?

A design registration is valid for 5 years from the date of the application, the protection can be repeatedly extended by 5 years to a total of 25 years from the date of the application.

The application filing is subject to payment of administrative fees:

Explanatory laws:

• Act of Design