Industrial Design
What are the criteria for industrial design registration in Malaysia?
To qualify for registration in Malaysia, your design must:-
(a) be new (meaning not previously sold or made public in Malaysia or public disclosure of not more than 6 months prior to date of application*) and
(b) have “eye appeal”
(c) not on record of the Register of Designs
The following are unregistrable under the Malaysian industrial design law :-
(a) a method or principle of construction;
(b) features of shape or configuration of an article which are dictated solely by function;
(c) features of shape or configuration of an article which are dependent on the appearance of another article of which the article is intended by the author of the design to form an integral part;
(d) an integrated circuit or part of an integrated circuit (which is protected separately under the Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits Act 2000); and
(e) designs that are contrary to public order and morality.
*provided the disclosure was made in an official exhibition or by a person other than the applicant as a result of an unlawful act committed by that other person.
Industrial Design
Are multi-class applications for industrial design allowed?
Yes. Multi-class industrial design applications are allowed in Malaysia where:-
(a) the different designs belong to the same class of the Locarno International Design Classification;
(b) the different designs have the same applicant but different authors and priority claims;
Each design is protected separately. There is a 50% reduction of official filing and renewal fees for each additional design.