Namibia considers WIPO design treaty

The ministry of industries, together with the Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA), has begun consulting stakeholders on whether Namibia should ratify an international treaty designed to simplify the protection of industrial designs.

The consultations focus on the Riyadh Design Law Treaty, adopted by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in November 2024. The treaty establishes common procedures for registering industrial designs to make the process simpler, more efficient and more consistent across member countries.

Industrial designs protect the visual appearance of products rather than how they function. Protection can apply to the shape, pattern, configuration or overall appearance of products such as furniture, clothing, packaging, household goods, consumer products and digital interfaces.

According to the ministry, the consultations are intended to explain the treaty in accessible terms, assess its potential impact on designers, businesses and the wider public, and gather stakeholder views before the agreement is presented to the National Assembly for approval.

The treaty seeks to reduce administrative requirements associated with design registration by introducing common procedural standards. These include simplified filing requirements, greater use of digital systems, improved legal certainty and more predictable registration processes.

Namibia has been a contracting party to the Hague Agreement on the international registration of industrial designs since 2004. The Riyadh Design Law Treaty complements that system by focusing specifically on harmonising registration procedures rather than creating new intellectual property rights.

The ministry says ratifying the treaty could lower barriers for local designers and small businesses seeking to protect their creations. Proposed measures include the ability to file multiple designs in a single application, expanded digital filing options and greater flexibility over when registered designs are published.

Officials also argue that aligning Namibia's intellectual property framework with international practice could strengthen investor confidence while supporting innovation and the commercialisation of locally developed products.

The consultation process forms part of the government's assessment of whether ratifying the treaty would strengthen Namibia's intellectual property system and support economic growth.