2026 archive topic · 2026-11-05
Retrospectively prepared on 13 November 2026. The archive date places the topic in the annual overview; the legal review and sources reflect the stated preparation date.
WIPO’s Hague Guide explains that licences cannot be recorded in the International Register. Any necessary national or regional formalities must be addressed at the relevant level. The contract and the ownership record should therefore be reviewed separately when preparing an international licence.
Four practical situations
The following examples illustrate possible review steps; they are not reports of client matters or predictions of an outcome.
1. An exclusive distributor
Specify products, territories and permitted manufacturers. Exclusivity in a supply contract does not automatically define the full scope of a design licence.
2. A sublicensing chain
Identify who may grant further rights and how those rights end. Require enough records to verify the authorised users of the design.
3. A royalty audit
Connect sales categories to the licensed designs and product variants. Define the records needed to check the royalty base without relying on vague portfolio descriptions.
4. An expiring relationship
Address existing inventory, tools and digital files before termination. Decide who may finish production and for how long, and document any continuing obligations.
Preparing a useful instruction
Provide the exact product version, the relevant filing or registration record, the intended territories and a dated chronology. For a dispute, add the complete demand and supporting images. The next step should answer a defined commercial question: whether to file, amend a launch plan, preserve evidence, negotiate or investigate a particular risk. Scope and fees should be agreed before substantive work is commissioned.
Internationale Designlizenzen: Vertrag und lokale Formalitäten
Nach dem Haager Leitfaden der WIPO können Lizenzen nicht im internationalen Register eingetragen werden. Erforderliche nationale oder regionale Formalitäten sind auf der jeweiligen Ebene zu erledigen. Für eine internationale Lizenz sind deshalb Vertrag, Registerinhaberschaft und lokale Wirkungen getrennt zu prüfen.
Die vier oben erläuterten Praxisfälle zeigen typische Prüfschritte. Sie sind keine Berichte über konkrete Mandate. Für eine Einschätzung sind Produktdarstellungen, Schutzrechtsunterlagen, Zielmärkte und Fristen hilfreich. Eine Anfrage ist auf Deutsch möglich; sämtliche Formularfelder sind freiwillig.
Official source / Amtliche Quelle
Official guidance or decision / Amtlicher Hinweis oder Entscheidung. Accessed and reviewed: 13 November 2026.