The State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) announces that some amendments to the Administrative Instructions for the Application of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (hereinafter referred to as the “Administrative Instructions”) will come into force on January 1, 2019.

The amendments concern Sections 203 and 801 of the Administrative Instructions and assume:

• Discontinuation of use of telefacsimile (fax) at the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (Section 203).

At present, the possibility to submit any communication, other than an international application containing a reproduction of the industrial design to be published in color, by fax, is provided.

Therefore, communications under the Hague Agreement may no longer be addressed to the International Bureau of WIPO by fax from January 1, 2019. Instead, a new function that will allow users to documents easily and securely upload documents in PDF format will shortly be made available and accessible from the E-Filing Portfolio Manager (https://www.wipo.int/hague/en/e-filing.html) and Contact Hague Service (https://www3.wipo.int/contact/en/hague/).

• Enhancement of flexibility with respect to online payment (Section 801). The text of Section 801 (iii) has been amended to allow other new forms of online payment. Thus, it is provided that fees may be paid to the International Bureau through an online payment system made available by it.

Detailed information can be found here: https://www.wipo.int/edocs/hagdocs/en/2018/hague_2018_17.pdf.