EAPO joins the Hague System: what will change for applicants from October 10, 2026
On July 10, 2026, the Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO) acceded to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. EAPO deposited its instrument of accession to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement.
The Geneva Act will enter into force with respect to EAPO on October 10, 2026. From that date, applicants will be able to designate EAPO in an international application for an industrial design filed under the Hague System.
What is the Hague System?
The Hague System, administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), allows applicants to seek protection for an industrial design in multiple selected countries and regional organizations by filing a single international application.
The application is filed through a centralized international procedure, in one language and subject to the payment of the applicable fees. At the same time, the scope and availability of legal protection in each designated jurisdiction remain subject to the law applicable in that jurisdiction.
Following EAPO’s accession, the territorial coverage of the Hague System will extend to 101 countries.
Before EAPO’s accession to the Geneva Act, a unitary Eurasian patent for an industrial design could be obtained by filing a separate Eurasian application with the Eurasian Patent Office.
Such a patent provides protection in the eight states participating in the Eurasian industrial design system:
– Armenia;
– Azerbaijan;
– Belarus;
– Kazakhstan;
– Kyrgyzstan;
– the Russian Federation;
– Tajikistan;
– Turkmenistan.
Where an applicant required protection both in the Eurasian region and, for example, in the European Union, the United States, Japan or other members of the Hague System, the Eurasian route had to be pursued separately.
It was not possible to designate EAPO as a territory in an international application filed under the Hague System.
From October 10, applicants will be able to include EAPO among the designated territories directly in an international application under the Hague System.
For example, within a single international procedure, an applicant will be able to seek protection for an industrial design simultaneously in:
EAPO + the European Union + the United States + Japan + other selected members of the Hague System.
By designating EAPO, an applicant will be able to seek protection through the international procedure in all eight states of the Eurasian industrial design system.
Practical Benefits for Applicants
The change is particularly relevant for companies launching products both in the Eurasian region and on international markets.
Instead of pursuing separate filing routes, applicants will be able to centralize a substantial part of the procedure within the Hague System, including filing the international application, selecting the relevant territories and subsequently managing the international registration.
This may simplify the creation and administration of international industrial design portfolios and make protection of product appearance more convenient when entering several markets at the same time.
The international application centralizes the filing procedure, but the designated offices retain the right to examine an industrial design in accordance with the applicable requirements of their respective legal systems.
Accordingly, where EAPO is designated in an international application, the availability of protection in the Eurasian territory will still be assessed in accordance with the applicable Eurasian industrial design legislation.
From October 10, applicants planning international design protection should consider and compare two possible routes:
1. Direct filing of a Eurasian industrial design application with the Eurasian Patent Office.
2. Filing an international application under the Hague System designating EAPO.
The optimal filing strategy will depend on the countries in which protection is required, the number of industrial designs to be included, the structure of the applicant’s international portfolio and the applicable fees.
WIPO has indicated that further information on EAPO-specific regional requirements applicable to international registrations will be made available in EAPO’s Hague System Member Profile.
Patentica specialists are available to assist applicants in selecting the optimal strategy for protecting industrial designs in the EAPO region and other jurisdictions, preparing the required documents, and handling both Eurasian and international registration procedures.
If you have any questions or require assistance with protecting industrial designs through the EAPO or Hague System, please do not hesitate to contact Patentica at info@patentica.com.