China's joining of the Hague Agreement under negotiation: NIPA

China's National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) is negotiating with the World Intellectual Property Organization on China's joining of the Hague Agreement, a Chinese official said Saturday.

Attending the opening of the 15th China (Wuxi) International Design Expo, NIPA director Shen Changyu said by joining the system, Chinese companies will enjoy easier access to the protection of industrial designs, so that Chinese designs and "Made in China" products can better integrate into the global market.

Hague Agreement for the international registration of industrial designs, a mechanism aimed at intellectual property protection, currently has 70 contracting parties around the world. An industrial design will be protected by all contracting parties through a single application.

China has been promoting the protection of industrial designs. The country saw 709,000 applications for industrial designs in 2018, compared with some 600 in 1985.

The 15th China (Wuxi) International Design Expo is scheduled to last from May 25 to 27. A design competition will be held during the expo.