Language and Documents in the Hague Route for Industrial Designs
**Scope:** This guide uses “industrial designs” in its title, while “industrial models” appears in Saudi legislation and the Royal Decree. It focuses on a Hague international application when Saudi Arabia is a designated country; it is not a general translation rule for every industrial-design matter in Saudi Arabia. **Language and translation:** The Hague guide states that communications with the International Bureau are in English, French, or Spanish. Communications and text-bearing information addressed to the International Bureau should therefore be prepared in one of those languages. This does not mean that every foreign document must be translated into Arabic or that every Saudi application must use those languages; neither proposition is stated as a general rule in this context. **Application content and visual files:** The listed information includes applicant and contact details, the number of designs and images, the design description, and the products concerned. The description may be brief but must not exceed 100 words; the guide provides for an additional charge per word above that limit, so the current fee schedule should be checked before filing. Electronic images and views are submitted in JPEG or TIFF at 300 × 300 dpi and should show the design’s details and features. These are visual-file specifications, not a stated requirement to translate a drawing or image. **Effect in Saudi Arabia:** Where Saudi Arabia is designated, international industrial-design applications are treated under the Hague Agreement and its implementing regulations. In that route, SAIP checks grant requirements other than formal examination, publishes registrations, and considers oppositions; the opposition period is three months from publication in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi national filing, assignment, licence, or other procedure needs instructions specific to that procedure, and the rules of this route should not be generalized to it.
- Applicant or holder identity data, as required by the international application form.
- Agent information and address where an agent is used.
- Email address and contact details; International Bureau notifications are sent by email.
- The industrial-design description, observing the guide’s 100-word limit.
- Identification of the products to which the design relates.
- Images and views of the industrial design in the specified electronic-filing formats.
- Information on the number of designs, images, and reproductions in the application.
- Priority-claim information when it is included in the application.
- International Bureau notices and correspondence after filing.
Determine whether the matter is a Hague international application or a Saudi national procedure. The Hague instructions here concern an international application and do not automatically apply to other national procedures.
In the Hague route, access eHague, complete the form, attach the required images and documents, pay the fees, and review the application before sending it to the International Bureau.
Enter applicant and contact information, the number of designs and images, the products concerned, and any other information required by the application form.
Prepare a concise design description that does not exceed 100 words. Check the current fees if it exceeds that limit, because the guide links excess words to a charge per additional word.
Prepare visual files in JPEG or TIFF at 300 × 300 dpi and ensure that they show the design’s details and features. Do not replace a drawing with text translation unless the competent authority asks for it in the particular file.
Use English, French, or Spanish when communicating with the International Bureau. This is a Hague-system correspondence rule, not a general rule for all Saudi documents.
The International Bureau formally checks the completeness of documents and fees, notifies the applicant of deficiencies to be corrected within the stated period, and then publishes the application unless publication is deferred.
When Saudi Arabia is designated, follow the grant-requirement review and publication. Any interested person may oppose before SAIP within three months from publication in Saudi Arabia.
| Document type | Common use | Note |
|---|---|---|
Is there a general requirement to translate every industrial-design document into Arabic?
No. The Hague guide does not state a rule of that breadth; it addresses languages for communication with the International Bureau and does not create a universal document-translation requirement.
Which languages are used for communication with the International Bureau?
English, French, or Spanish.
Does that language rule mean that every Saudi application must be in one of those languages?
No. The rule concerns communication with the International Bureau in the Hague-system context and cannot be generalized to every Saudi application.
Which term appears in Saudi legal materials?
The law and Royal Decree use “industrial models,” while the SAIP Hague page uses both “designs” and “industrial models” in explaining the Hague system.
What text-bearing data does the guide mention for the application?
Applicant data, contact data, the number of designs and images, the design description, and the products concerned.
Is the design description unlimited in length?
No. The guide states a maximum of 100 words, with an additional charge for each word beyond the limit. Check the current fees before filing.
Must the images or drawings themselves be translated?
The guide does not say so. It focuses on format, resolution, and showing the design’s details and features, not on a general rule to translate images or drawings.
Which image formats and resolution apply to electronic filing?
JPEG or TIFF at 300 × 300 dpi, together with the size and dimension requirements stated in the guide.
Does the guide identify a sworn translator or a Saudi body that approves translations?
No. The guide does not identify a sworn translator or a particular Saudi body that approves translations in this route.
Does the guide require legalization or certification of a translation?
No. The guide does not set a general legalization or certification rule; neither should be added as a requirement unless the instructions for the particular procedure state it.
What happens after an international application is submitted?
The International Bureau performs a formal examination of the completeness of documents and fees, notifies the applicant of deficiencies to be corrected within the stated period, and publishes the application unless publication is deferred.
What happens when Saudi Arabia is designated in an international registration?
SAIP checks grant requirements under the law and regulation, other than formal examination, publishes international registrations, and decides oppositions.
What is the opposition period after publication in Saudi Arabia?
Three months from the publication date in Saudi Arabia.
Does the Hague guide replace the Saudi implementing regulation?
No. The guide is instructional, while international applications are subject to the Hague Agreement and its implementing regulations, which determine the conditions, rules, and procedures.
Do these instructions apply to a Saudi national application, an assignment, or a licence?
They should not be generalized to those matters. These instructions concern Hague international applications; use the requirements of the relevant national procedure or specific transaction for a different file.
This guide is for general information and is not legal or consular advice. Always verify current requirements with the receiving authority.