Hague System: New Rules for Recording and Updating Information of Industrial Designs Effective from 1 July 2026

22 Jul 2026

By Linna Song

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced important amendments to the Regulations under the 1999 Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement, introducing new options for recording and updating designer information in international design registrations. The changes have taken effect on 1 July 2026.

The amendments address an area that has previously been unavailable under the Hague System by allowing applicants and rights holders to record or update information relating to the creator of a registered design.

Under the new rules, holders of existing international registrations that do not currently identify the designer will be able to request the addition of the designer's name and address to the International Register. The request may cover all or only some of the designs included in an international registration.

The revised framework also permits updates to designer information that has already been recorded. Where a designer's name or address changes due to circumstances such as relocation, a legal name change, or other personal changes, the information recorded in the International Register may now be amended accordingly.

To facilitate these requests, WIPO will introduce a new official form, DM/10, which must be used when applying either to record or to update designer information. Requests may be submitted through WIPO's Hague electronic document upload system.

The recording of these changes will be subject to the payment of the following fees: CHF144 for one international registration and CHF 72 francs for each additional international registration included in the same request.

Once the request has been processed, the updated designer information will be published in the International Designs Bulletin, ensuring that the International Register accurately reflects the recorded creator details.

Although these amendments do not alter the substantive requirements for obtaining international design protection, they provide greater flexibility for rights holders seeking to maintain accurate registration records.

The new procedures may be particularly useful where designer information was not originally included in an international registration or where personal details have changed over time.

The amendments form part of WIPO's ongoing efforts to modernize the Hague System and improve the administration of international design registrations for users worldwide.