WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE 
ORGANIZACION MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property rights IP/N/1/NOR/D/2 
14 September 1998 
(98-3455) 
Original: English/ 
anglais/ 
ingles 
MAIN DEDICATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS AND REGULATIONS 
NOTIFIED UNDER ARTICLE 63.2 OF THE AGREEMENT 
NORWAY 
The present document reproducesl the Design Regulations (Royal Decree of 
20 December 1996), as notified by Norway under Article 63.2 of the Agreement (see document 
IP/N/l/NORl2). 
ConseiI des aspects des droits de propriete 
inteIJectueIJe qui touchent au commerce 
PRINCIP ALES LOIS ET REGLEMENTATIONS CONSACREES A 
LA PROPRIETlt INTELLECTUELLE NOTIFIEES AU TITRE 
DE L'ARTICLE 63:2 DE L'ACCORD 
NORVEGE 
Le present document contient le textel du Reglement sur les dessins et modeles (Decret royal 
du 20 decembre 1996), notifie par la Norvege au titre de l'article 63:2 de l'Accord (voir le document 
IP/N/l/NORl2). 
Consejo de los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad 
Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio 
PRINCIP ALES LEYES Y REGLAMENTOS DEDICADOS A LA PROPIEDAD 
INTELECTUAL NOTIFICADOS EN VIRTUD DEL PA.RRAFO 2 
DEL ARTiCULO 63 DEL ACUERDO 
NORUEGA 
En el presente documento se reproduce I el Reglamento sobre los Dibujos y Mode1os 
Industriales (Real Decreto de 20 de diciembre de 1996), notificado por Noruega en virtud de 10 
dispuesto en el parrafo 2 del articulo 63 del Acuerdo (vease el documento IP/N/1/NORl2). 
1 In English onlylEn anglais seulementlEn ingles solamente. IPIN/1INORID/2 
Page 2 
NORWEGIAN PATENT OFFICE 
Regulations on 
Registration of Designs 
(Design Regulations) 
Royal Decree of December 20, 1996 
issued pursuant to Act No. 33 of May 29, 
1970 concerning Designs, sections 7, 8, 14, 46, 47 and 48 
Put forward by the Norwegian Ministry of Justice 
Bl. 249-500 09.97 -Sats/repro: Grafutura as· Trykk: SEM Grafisk AlS 2 Chapter 1 
Chapter 2 
Chapter 3 
Chapter 4 
Chapter 5 
Chapter 6 Table of Contents 
Filing Design Applications 
Priority 
Division of Applications 
Oppositions 
Spare Parts and Accessories for Aircraft 
Miscellaneous Provisions IP/N/l/NOR/D/2 
Page 3 IPINI1INOR/D/2 
Page 4 
Chapter 1 
Filing Design Applications 
Section 1 
An application for registration of a design shall be filed in writing with 
the Patent Office, cf. section 10, first paragraph, of the Designs Act. 
Section 2 
The application shall be signed by the applicant or his representative and 
shall contain: 
l)Particulars of the applicant's name and address, and also the name and 
address of his representative, if any, 
2) details concerning the author of the design, 
3) a specification of the article or articles for which registration of the 
design is sought, 
4) an indication of the class or classes to which, in the applicant's opinion, 
the design belongs, 
5) information as to whether the design is a model for the appearance of an 
article or for an ornament, 
6) information as to whether the design is to be regarded as being filed in 
colour, 
7) information as to whether priority is claimed pursuant to section 8 of the 
present Regulations, 
8) information as to whether the applicant requests deferment of the regi­
stration, cf section 18 of the Designs Act; and 
9) a list of the appendices accompanying the application. 
A picture showing the design and a declaration as referred to in section 
10, third paragraph, third period, of the Designs Act shall be enclosed as 
appendices to the application. If the design has been created by someone 
other than the applicant, documentation of the transfer of the author's 
right to the applicant must be enclosed with the application as an 
appendix. 
Section 3 
The application and appendices thereto shall be drawn up in the 
Norwegian, Danish or Swedish language. However, the Patent Office may in 
a particular case require that the specification of the article or articles for 
which the design is sought registered, cf. section 2, first paragraph, third 
point, be drawn up in the Norwegian language. 
The Patent Office may in a particular case accept that the application and 
3 4 IP/N/l/NOR/D/2 
Page 5 
appendices are drawn up wholly or partly in a language other than those 
named in the first paragraph, first period, and may then require that a trans­
lation into one of these languages be submitted. Certification of the translati­
on by a government-authorised translator or in another manner approved by 
the Patent Office may also be required. 
Section 4 
The provisions in sections 12 and 45 of the Designs Act shall not apply to 
applicants or design right holders who are resident in Denmark or Sweden. 
Section 5 
The Patent Office shall allocate filed applications an application number, 
cf. section 13 of the Designs Act. 
Section 6 
The Patent Office shall keep a journal of design applications filed. The 
journal shall be available to the public. 
Section 7 
The Patent Office shall issue further provisions with respect to: 
1) The classification of the design, 
2) the application and its contents, 
3) the obligation of a person acting as representative to enclose with the 
application confirmation of his representation of the applicant, 
4) other appendices that are to be attached to the application, 
5) the appendices to the application and their contents, and 
6) the journal of applications filed. 
Chapter 2 
Priority 
Section 8 
Application priority as referred to in section 8, first paragraph, of the 
Designs Act may be claimed in accordance with Paris Convention for the 
Protection of Industrial Property of March 20, 1883, Article 4, on the basis of 
the first application for the registration of a design or the protection of a utili­
ty model which discloses the design and which has been filed in a State party 
the Paris Convention or the Agreement establishing the World Trade 
Organisation (WTO), provided that an application for registration of the 
design is filed in Norway within six months after the first application has 
been filed. 
The claim of application priority shall be included in the application. The IPIN/IINOR/D/2 
Page 6 
following information shall accompany the claim: 
1) The State in which the first application for the protection of the design 
was filed, 
2) the date on which the application was filed, and 
3) the application number of the application, if known. 
If the application number referred to in point 3 is not known when the 
claim of application priority is filed, information with regard to this num 
ber shall be sent to the Patent Office as soon as the applicant is cognisant 
thereof. 
The Patent Office may require the person claiming application priority to 
file evidence of priority within a stipulated time limit. The time limit must not 
be set so as to be shorter than three months from the date on which the appli­
cation was in fact filed in this country. The Patent Office shall issue further 
provisions with respect to evidence of priority. 
The applicant's right to application priority lapses if the conditions laid 
down in or pursuant to the second and third paragraphs are not fulfilled. 
Section 9 
An application may be cited as basis for application priority even if it is 
not the first application which discloses the design, provided that: 
1) The first application had been withdrawn, shelved or refused without the 
design becoming publicly available when the later application was filed, 
2) the first application does not form the basis of any existing right, 
3) the first application has not served as the basis for any claim of priority, 
and 
4) the later application has been filed with the same authority as the first 
application and by the same person or his successor in title. 
Section 10 
The Patent Office may in special cases determine that application priori­
ty as referred to in section 8, first paragraph, of the Designs Act shall also be 
obtainable on the basis of an application filed in a State which is not party to 
the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property or the 
Agreement establishing the W orId Trade Organisation. Sections 8 and 9 in 
the present Regulations then apply correspondingly. 
Section 11 
When an application is filed for multiple registration in accordance with 
section 11 of the Designs Act, the applicant may claim priority for one or 
more of the designs. Such priority may be claimed on the basis of a plurality 
of applications, even if these have been filed in different States. 
5 6 Chapter 3 
Division of Applications 
Section 12 IPINIlINOR/D/2 
Page 7 
The applicant may request in writing that the Patent Office should divide 
the application into two or more new applications. In the request the appli­
cant shall state: 
1) The number of the original application, 
2) which design or designs each new application shall contain, 
3) which article or articles the design or designs in each of the new applica­
tions is/are sought registered for, and 
4) which of the new applications is to be considered as a continuation of the 
original application. 
The request shall be accompanied by a new application fee for each new 
application which is not considered to be a continuation of the original appli­
cation. 
Section 13 
After the division, none of the applications may comprise a design or an 
article which was not included in the original application prior to the division. 
Section 14 
The request for division shall be refused if the conditions in sections 12 
and 13 are not fulfilled, or if the Patent Office otherwise finds that a division 
will result in doubt as to the scope of one of the applications. 
Section 15 
If the Patent Office finds no obstacle to granting the applicant's request 
for division, the request shall be granted. 
The application considered as a continuation of the original application, 
cf. section 12, shall retain the application number allocated to the original 
application. New applications not considered to be a continuation of the origi­
nal application, shall each be allocated their own new application number. 
The new applications shall retain the priority of the original application. 
Section 16 
The Patent Office shall provide further provisions as to whether the 
applicant shall file a copy of documents previously filed as a part of or appen­
dix to the original application. IPINIIINOR/D/2 
Page 8 
Chapter 4 
Oppositions 
Section 17 
An opposition pursuant to section 20 of the Designs Act shall be filed in 
writing in triplicate and shall contain details with respect to: 
1) The opponent's name and address, and also the name and address of his 
representative, if any, 
2) the number of the registration to which the opposition applies; and 
3) a statement of the scope of the opposition and the grounds on which it is 
based. 
In special cases as referred to in section 20, first paragraph, third period, 
of the Designs Act, the Patent Office may grant the opponent an additional 
term of up to one month in which to submit additional documentation in sup­
port of the opposition. 
Section 18 
The Patent Office shall issue detailed provisions as to the obligation of 
anyone acting as representative to enclose with the opposition confirmation 
of their representation of the opponent. 
Section 19 
The Patent Office shall reject the opposition if the conditions stipulated 
in or pursuant to section 17, first paragraph, and section 18 are not fulfilled. 
Section 20 
Unless the Patent Office finds it evident that the opposition shall be 
rejected pursuant to section 21, third paragraph, of the Designs Act, the 
Patent Office shall send two copies of the opposition to the holder of the regi­
stration with an invitation to respond within a specified time limit. 
If the holder files a response, the Patent Office shall decide whether fur­
ther correspondence between the parties is necessary. 
The response and any subsequent communications shall be filed in tripli­
cate. 
Section 21 
In cases referred to in section 21, sixth paragraph, of the Designs Act!, 
the opposition proceedings may only be continued if the Patent Office notifi­
es the holder of the registration thereof within two weeks after having recei­
ved notice of withdrawal of the opposition. 
1) This reference should be to section 20, sixth paragraph, of the Designs Act. 
7 8 Chapter 5 
Spare Parts and Accessories for Aircraft 
Section 22 IP/N/1/NOR/D/2 
Page 9 
Notwithstanding a registered design, spare parts and accessories for air­
craft may be imported into this country and used for the repair of aircraft 
belonging to a foreign State which is party to the Convention on International 
Civil Aviation of December 7, 1944 (the Chicago Convention) and is either 
party to the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial 
Property of March 20, 1883 or has a legislation on designs which recognises 
designs created by nationals of another State party to the Chicago 
Convention and which guarantees such designs protection which in essence 
corresponds to that of the Paris Convention. 
Chapter 6 
Miscellaneous Provisions 
Section 23 
A model which has been deposited with the Patent Office in accordance 
with section 10, third paragraph, of the Designs Act shall be kept by the 
Patent Office until five years have elapsed after the expiry of the registration. 
If the holder of the registration has not then requested the return of the 
model, the Patent Office may destroy it. 
Section 24 
The Patent office may in regulations issue further provisions with 
respect to: 
1) the processing of design applications, 
2) the Register of Designs, 
3) notices which shall be published pursuant to the Designs Act or these 
Regulations, 
4) the calculation of terms, and also 
5) the general implementation of the Designs Act and these Regulations. 
Section 25 
Directives issued by the Patent Office pursuant to the present 
Regulations shall be published in both N orsk Lovtidend (the Norwegian 
Legal Gazette) and N orsk Menstertidende (the Norwegian Designs 
Gazette). IPIN/IINOR/D/2 
Page 10 
Section 26 
These Regulations shall come into force on January 1, 1997. 
Regulations concerning the Registration of Designs of September 10, 
1970 shall be repealed from the same date. 
Applications for the registration of designs which have been published 
prior to January 1, 1997 to give the public the opportunity to file oppositions 
thereto, shall be processed to completion according to the rules of procedure 
which were applicable until January 1,1997. 
9 