Title 35, PatentsRelease 119-110

§381 Definitions

Title 35 › PART V — THE HAGUE AGREEMENT CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS › CHAPTER 38 — INTERNATIONAL DESIGN APPLICATIONS › § 381

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used for international design registration. "Treaty" means the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement adopted at Geneva on July 2, 1999. "Regulations" with a capital R means the Common Regulations under the treaty; lowercase "regulations" means rules made by the Director under this title. "Designation" means asking that an international registration take effect in a Contracting Party. "International Bureau" is the coordinating intergovernmental body. "Effective registration date" is the date the Bureau sets. "International design application" is an application for international registration. "International registration" is an industrial-design registration filed under the treaty. Other words not defined here use the meanings in the treaty and the Regulations.

Full Legal Text

Title 35, §381

Patents, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In General.—
When used in this part, unless the context otherwise indicates—
(1)the term “treaty” means the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs adopted at Geneva on July 2, 1999;
(2)the term “regulations”—
(A)when capitalized, means the Common Regulations under the treaty; and
(B)when not capitalized, means the regulations established by the Director under this title;
(3)the terms “designation”, “designating”, and “designate” refer to a request that an international registration have effect in a Contracting Party to the treaty;
(4)the term “International Bureau” means the international intergovernmental organization that is recognized as the coordinating body under the treaty and the Regulations;
(5)the term “effective registration date” means the date of international registration determined by the International Bureau under the treaty;
(6)the term “international design application” means an application for international registration; and
(7)the term “international registration” means the international registration of an industrial design filed under the treaty.
(b)Rule of Construction.—
Terms and expressions not defined in this part are to be taken in the sense indicated by the treaty and the Regulations.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on the later of the date that is 1 year after Dec. 18, 2012, or the date that the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs enters into force with respect to the United States (May 13, 2015), and applicable only to certain applications filed on and after that

Effective Date

and patents issuing thereon, see section 103 of Pub. L. 112–211, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2012 Amendment note under section 100 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

35 U.S.C. § 381

Title 35, Patents

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110