Designs in Norway

On May 1, 2003 a new Designs Act came into force in Norway. The purpose of the new Designs Act was to harmonize the Norwegian legislation with the European Union and European Economic Area legislation regarding design registration.

Filing a design application in Norway requires local representation, and correspondence with the Norwegian Patent Office should be in Norwegian.

In order to claim priority, a national application must be filed within six months from the filing of the first application.

The Norwegian Patent Office accepts both pictures and drawings (not technical drawings), unlike some Patent Offices in Asia and the US where only drawings are accepted.

If you intend to file a multiple application with a priority claim, please note that the total number of designs in Norway may differ from that of the priority application as the Norwegian Patent Office counts the number of designs in a different way than many other Patent Offices, and especially OHIM.