Jointly Released by Five IP Offices: Guidelines for the Submission of Design View

On December 14, 2024, five intellectual property offices from China, the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South Korea—namely the CNIPA, the EUIPO, and others—jointly released the Informative User Guide for the View and Drawing Requirements of Designs. The guide aims to provide innovators with clear and unified guidance on submitting design views, streamlining the process of international design applications.

Developed based on the Catalogue of Specifications for the Submission of Design Drawings and Photographs led by EUIPO, the guide is divided into two main sections: "General Requirements" and "Special Requirements." Under the "General Requirements," it clarifies common specifications for view types, quantity, and formats. For example, view types cover orthographic views, views showing change of state, sectional views, etc. Notably, CNIPA and the JPO impose no upper limit on the number of views, whereas the EUIPO restricts it to a maximum of 7. Regarding formats, CNIPA accepts JPEG files with a resolution between 72-300 dpi, while the USPTO emphasizes meeting quality standards for scanability.

The "Special Requirements" section details country-specific differences for unique product types. For partial designs, CNIPA requires dashed-and-solid lines combined with annotations to define protected areas; the EUIPO permits dashed lines, blurred effects, and other representation methods; and Japan mandates separate declarations for unprotected portions. For GUI designs, CNIPA allows submissions under the product name "electronic device" for generic interfaces, while the EUIPO requires sequential screenshots to demonstrate dynamic effects. Additionally, the guide provides categorized guidance on kit products, similar designs, and complex products—for instance, the KIPO stipulates that related designs must be filed within 3 years of the basic design, whereas Japan does not support multiple similar designs in a single application.

The guide clarifies that while offering unified guidance, the final examination by each office remains subject to its own national laws and regulations. This release will help innovators more precisely understand the differences among the five offices' rules, reduce application costs, and facilitate the efficient protection and commercialization of global design innovations. 

Annex：Informative User Guide for the View and Drawing Requirements of Designs