Industrial Design Registration in the Philippines
In the Philippines, an industrial design protects the way a product looks — its shape, configuration, pattern, or ornamentation — not the way it works. Protection is available for designs that are new or ornamental. Registration with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) lasts five years from the filing date and may be renewed twice, for up to 15 years in total.
Recurra is a Philippine IP agent. We prepare and file industrial design applications with IPOPHL and offer a free consultation to confirm that a design filing — rather than a patent or utility model, a trademark, or a copyright deposit — is the right fit before you pay government fees.
If you first want a plain-English overview, start with our guide: Understanding Industrial Designs in the Philippines. This page covers the official process, drawing requirements, government fees, and how Recurra can file for you.
Who this is for
This service is for product designers, manufacturers, startups, and businesses that want Philippine protection for the appearance of a product — for example the shape of a bottle, a tool housing, a piece of furniture, packaging, a textile pattern, or a similar ornamental design applied to an industrial product or handicraft.
It is also for applicants who do not live in the Philippines. Under the Intellectual Property Code, a non-resident must appoint and maintain a resident agent here. Recurra can act as that representative.
It may be a good fit if you:
Have a product whose commercial value is in how it looks, not only in how it functions
Want to file first in the Philippines, or claim priority from an earlier foreign design application (the Philippine filing must be made within six months of the earliest foreign filing)
Need help preparing the specification and drawings, then filing through IPOPHL’s eIDFile system
Want a local agent to monitor official actions and remind you of the 5-year term-extension deadlines
If what you need to protect is a technical invention, see Patent and Utility Model Registration in the Philippines. If it is a brand name or logo used to identify your goods or services, see Trademark Registration in the Philippines.
What can be registered — and what cannot
The Intellectual Property Code defines an industrial design as any composition of lines or colors, or any three-dimensional form (whether or not associated with lines or colors), provided that the composition or form gives a special appearance to and can serve as a pattern for an industrial product or handicraft (RA 8293, Sec. 112).
IPOPHL describes this as the visual appearance of a product: three-dimensional features such as shape or surface, or two-dimensional features such as patterns or lines of color. Only designs that are new or ornamental are entitled to protection (Sec. 113.1).
Source: IPOPHL (Industrial Design FAQ).
The following are not registrable (Sec. 113.2 and the official Industrial Design FAQ):
Designs dictated essentially by technical or functional considerations to obtain a technical result
Mere schemes of surface ornamentation existing separately from the industrial product or handicraft
Designs that are contrary to public order, health, or morals
The Philippines uses a first-to-file system. The filing date matters if more than one person applies for the same or a similar design.
Novelty and the 12-month grace period. A design is not new if it forms part of the prior art. The IP Code applies the patent rules on novelty, prior art, and non-prejudicial disclosure to industrial designs, with the proviso that a prior-art disclosure must be contained in printed documents or in any tangible form (Secs. 23–25, applied through Sec. 119.1). Under those rules, a disclosure during the 12 months before your filing or priority date does not destroy novelty if it was made by the creator, or in the other limited cases in Sec. 25. That is a narrow exception, not a reason to publish the design and wait. If you have already shown the design in public, tell Recurra before you file.
How to register an industrial design with IPOPHL
Most applications are filed online through eIDFile, IPOPHL’s industrial design filing system. (Invention patents use eInventionFile; do not use that system for a design.) After filing, later documents and payments go through eDocFile. In-person filing at the IPOPHL cashier is described as available only for applications exceeding 250 pages. Satellite offices (IPSOs) are not receiving offices for manual filing, but staff there can help with online filing.
Source: IPOPHL (How to File for an Industrial Design), steps 1–4 of 7.
1. Search existing designs (optional, but useful)
Only new or ornamental designs are entitled to protection. Before you file, you can search existing designs on IPOPHL’s WIPO Publish design database, and on WIPO’s Global Design Database or ASEAN Design View. A search does not guarantee registration, but it can save time if a similar design is already on file.
2. Prepare the specification and drawings
An industrial design application contains a specification and drawings (or other reproductions) of the design. IPOPHL’s official FAQ and filing page call for:
A title
A brief description of the different views of the drawings
A characteristic-feature description (optional)
A claim. The official filing page gives this omnibus form: “I claim the new and ornamental design for a ______ substantially as shown and described.”
Drawings that show the complete appearance of the design: typically the perspective, front, rear, right and left sides, top, and bottom. If opposite views are mirror images, only one of those views may be submitted, provided the specification says so. Drawings are usually presented in black and white; color may be used if it makes the design clearer.
For the eIDFile representative reproduction, IPOPHL asks for a perspective view for three-dimensional designs, or a plan or front view for two-dimensional designs. That file may be a drawing, a computer-graphic reproduction, or a photograph with a neutral background.
Upload the specification and drawings as PDFs. Optional supporting documents can include a priority document and English translation, a Special Power of Attorney, a deed of assignment, and a request for deferred publication.
3. File through eIDFile and pay the fee
eIDFile is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except during announced maintenance, and does not require a user account. You enter the title, upload the representative drawing, complete applicant, designer, and (if any) agent details, attach the documents, review the fee computation, and pay.
You may pay the filing fee in full on filing, or pay a ₱500 advance filing fee (credited toward the filing fee) and the balance within one month of the filing date. An application with no advance or full filing payment is not treated as a bona fide application and is not given an application number. All official fees are also subject to the 1% Legal Research Fund (LRF), with a minimum of ₱10 where the fee is below ₱1,000.
If you claim small-entity rates, tick the small-entity declaration. IPOPHL treats an applicant with assets of ₱100 million or less as a small entity, and an applicant with assets of more than ₱100 million as a big entity.
4. Formality examination
IPOPHL examines whether the application meets the filing requirements, including the sufficiency of the description and drawings and the required payments. The official FAQ says a Formality Examination Report, if there are defects, is mailed within an average of four months from filing.
If all formality requirements are met on filing, the examiner may recommend the application for publication and registration within five days. IPOPHL calls this “ID in 5 Days.”
The IP Code also requires the Office to examine whether the design meets the definition and the substantive conditions in Sec. 113 (including that it is new or ornamental, and not purely functional or contrary to public order, health, or morals). A separate registrability report, which cites prior art on newness, is optional and may be requested for a registered industrial design (see below).
5. Publication and adverse information
Once the application is in order, it is published in the IPOPHL e-Gazette for community review. Within 30 days from the date of publication, any person may file written adverse information on registrability, including novelty, citing relevant prior art (Revised IRR, Rule 1701). IPOPHL’s public Community Review list, checked in November 2026, shows industrial design deadlines one month after the e-Gazette publication date.
6. Registration and the certificate
If no adverse information is filed before the deadline, or after any adverse information is considered, the Director of Patents may grant registration (Rules 1702–1703). You then pay the fee for issuance of the certificate of registration.
The owner of a registered industrial design has the right to prevent others from making, selling, or importing articles that bear or embody a design which is a copy, or substantially a copy, of the protected design, when those acts are undertaken for commercial purposes.
Anyone may later petition to cancel a registration, during its term, if the design was not registrable, is not new, or extends beyond the original application (Sec. 120).
7. Optional registrability report
A registrability report cites relevant prior art and indicates how closely it relates to the registered design. It can help you assess newness if you need to enforce or defend the registration. The applicant or any interested party may request it after paying the official fee. IPOPHL says the report is issued within two months of a complete request and payment. This report is not a substitute for filing, and it is not required in order to obtain the certificate.
Term and renewal — no annual fees
An industrial design registration lasts five years from the filing date. It may be renewed for not more than two consecutive five-year periods, by paying the renewal fee, for a maximum of 15 years (RA 8293, Sec. 118; Industrial Design FAQ).
The renewal fee (IPOPHL lists this as a Petition for Extension of Term) is due within the 12 months preceding expiry. A six-month grace period is available after expiry, upon payment of a surcharge. The official fee schedule lists the first and second extension fees but does not state the surcharge amount.
Unlike invention patents, industrial designs are not maintained by annual (annuity) fees. If you do not extend the term when it is due, protection ends.
Several designs in one application
You do not always need a separate application for every variation.
Same application, more than one design. Two or more industrial designs may be filed in one application if they relate to the same sub-class of the International Classification, or to the same set or composition of articles (Sec. 115).
Embodiments. IPOPHL defines design embodiments as several industrial designs that have substantially similar dominant design features and are embodied in a single design concept. These may be filed in one application. There is an official fee for each embodiment in excess of one.
Sets of articles. Articles customarily sold or used together as a set may be filed in one application if each article has the same design, or a substantially similar design.
If the designs do not meet these tests, they should be split (including by divisional application, which has its own official fee).
Industrial design vs utility model vs trademark vs copyright
The same product can involve more than one IP right. The filings are different, and one does not replace the others.
Industrial design
What it protects: How a product looks (shape, configuration, pattern, ornamentation)
Main legal test: New or ornamental; not purely functional
Where you file: IPOPHL, through eIDFile
How it is examined: Formality examination, then publication and a 30-day adverse-information period. An optional registrability report on newness can be requested after registration
Term: 5 years from filing, renewable twice (maximum 15 years)
Utility model / patent
What it protects: How a product or process works (a technical solution)
Main legal test: Patent: new, inventive step, industrially applicable. Utility model: new and industrially applicable; no inventive step
Where you file: IPOPHL, through eInventionFile or eUMFile
How it is examined: Patent: formality examination, publication, then substantive examination. Utility model: formality examination, without a substantive examination
Term: Patent: 20 years from filing, with annual fees. Utility model: 7 years from filing, not renewable
Trademark
What it protects: A sign that identifies the source of goods or services
Main legal test: Distinctive as a badge of origin; not confusingly similar to an earlier mark
Where you file: IPOPHL, through eTMFile
How it is examined: Substantive examination, then publication for opposition
Term: 10 years, renewable indefinitely, with Declaration of Actual Use deadlines
Copyright
What it protects: Original literary and artistic works, including some artistic applied designs
Main legal test: Originality; copyright exists from the moment of creation
Where you file: Copyright exists without filing; optional deposit with IPOPHL
How it is examined: Deposit is not an examination of ownership or originality
Term: Generally the life of the author plus 50 years (other terms apply to some works)
For the technical route, see Patent and Utility Model Registration. For brand names and logos, see Trademark Registration. For creative works, including songs, see the copyright registration guide.
The Hague Agreement
The Hague System lets an applicant file one international design application and designate member countries. The Philippines has not acceded to the Hague Agreement as of this check (November 2026).
WIPO’s official list of Hague contracting parties does not include the Philippines. IPOPHL has been preparing to accede to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement: accession documents were reported as being with the Department of Foreign Affairs, and IPOPHL’s 2025 report to WIPO states that a draft declaration of accession was submitted to the DFA for review. Until accession takes effect, you obtain Philippine design protection by filing a national application with IPOPHL. You cannot designate the Philippines in a Hague international design filing.
If you also need protection abroad, we can discuss your options in a free consultation.
Government fees (IPOPHL)
Figures below are taken from IPOPHL’s Schedule of Fees on Utility Model & Industrial Design. Last checked: November 2026.
They are government fees paid to IPOPHL, in Philippine pesos, and are separate from Recurra’s professional fee. A small entity is an applicant with assets of ₱100 million or less; a big entity has assets of more than ₱100 million. All fees and charges on this schedule (with limited statutory exceptions that do not affect a typical design filing) are subject to the 1% Legal Research Fund (LRF) required by RA 3870, at 1% of the fee paid but not less than ₱10.
Amounts are the schedule’s base fees, before LRF. Line items that the official schedule marks as utility-model-only (for example, excess claims and sequence listings) are omitted.
Typical fees on the path to registration
Source: Schedule of Fees on Utility Model & Industrial Design. Last checked: November 2026.
Type of fee
Small entity (₱)
Big entity (₱)
Filing fee
1,720.00
3,600.00
For each embodiment in excess of one
860.00
1,800.00
Request for right of priority (per priority claim)
860.00
1,800.00
Divisional application (for each division)
1,720.00
3,600.00
Request for deferred publication
500.00
1,000.00
Request for extension of time to file a response — first
360.00
720.00
Request for extension of time to file a response — second
390.00
780.00
Registrability report
630.00
1,320.00
Revival
570.00
1,200.00
Issuance of certificate of registration
600.00
1,200.00
A ₱500 advance filing fee is credited toward the filing fee if you do not pay in full on filing. Preparation of amended pages of the master copy of the specification and/or claims is listed at ₱84 for both small and big entities.
Term extensions and later corrections
Source: Schedule of Fees on Utility Model & Industrial Design. Last checked: November 2026.
Type of fee
Small entity (₱)
Big entity (₱)
Petition for extension of term — first
1,030.00
2,160.00
Petition for extension of term — second
2,000.00
4,320.00
Amendment or correction in the certificate
300.00
600.00
Correction of a formal or clerical mistake, without fault of the Office
300.00
600.00
Amendment or correction of a substantive nature
460.00
960.00
Source: IPOPHL (Schedule of Fees on Utility Model & Industrial Design). Last checked: November 2026.
Assignment and other recordal fees also appear on the same official schedule (including a first assignment from a small entity to a big entity, plus a publication fee). Confirm the current line item on the live schedule when that situation arises.
Fees change. Recheck the official schedule before you file.
Recurra’s professional fee
Recurra’s professional fee is quoted per case. Contact us for a free consultation and we’ll give you a clear quote before you commit.
Government fees above are paid to IPOPHL and are separate from Recurra’s professional fee. Our fee depends on the number of designs or embodiments, the complexity of the drawings, and whether the filing is a first Philippine application or a convention (priority) filing.
The consultation to review your design and recommend a route is free.
What Recurra does
Recurra can help you from the first decision through filing and follow-up with IPOPHL. A typical engagement may include:
A free consultation on whether an industrial design, a utility model, a patent, a trademark, or a copyright deposit is the better fit
Help with a design search before you file, using IPOPHL and other official design databases
Preparing or reviewing the specification, claim, and drawings or other reproductions
Preparing the IPOPHL forms, small-entity declaration (if you qualify), and any power of attorney or assignment
Filing the application through eIDFile and paying official fees according to the statement of account
Acting as resident agent for applicants who are not based in the Philippines
Monitoring formality reports and preparing responses
Requesting a registrability report, or a deferred publication, when that is appropriate
Coordinating issuance of the certificate and reminding you of the 5-year term-extension deadlines
Court actions, enforcement and licensing negotiations are handled separately — ask us during your consultation.
Documents you will need
Have these ready, preferably as searchable PDFs:
A title and a short description of the article to which the design is applied
A brief description of each view of the drawings
Optional characteristic-feature description
The claim in IPOPHL’s omnibus form
Drawings, computer-graphic reproductions, or photographs that show the complete appearance of the design (perspective, front, rear, sides, top, and bottom, unless a view is a mirror image and the specification says so). For eIDFile, include a representative reproduction: perspective for 3D, plan or front view for 2D, with a neutral background if you use a photograph
The designer’s name and address. If the applicant is not the creator, a statement of how the applicant obtained the right to file, usually a deed of assignment
If you have a representative, or if the applicant is a foreign resident: a Special Power of Attorney or Appointment of Resident Agent
If you claim small-entity rates: a declaration of small-entity status
If you claim convention priority: a certified copy of the earlier foreign application and an English translation, if it is not already in English. Under the IP Code, the Philippine industrial design application must be filed within six months of the earliest foreign filing
Do not assume that posting photos of the product, exhibiting it, or putting it on sale has no effect on novelty. Prior art can include what has been made available to the public before your filing or priority date. If a disclosure has already happened, ask us about the 12-month non-prejudicial disclosure rule before you file.
Frequently asked questions
What is an industrial design in the Philippines?
Under the Intellectual Property Code (RA 8293, Sec. 112), an industrial design is any composition of lines or colors or any three-dimensional form, whether or not associated with lines or colors, that gives a special appearance to and can serve as a pattern for an industrial product or handicraft. IPOPHL describes it as the visual appearance of a product — the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article of manufacture, including three-dimensional features such as shape or surface, and two-dimensional features such as patterns or lines of color. To be protected, the design must be new or ornamental, and it must not be dictated essentially by technical or functional considerations, a mere scheme of surface ornamentation existing separately from the product, or contrary to public order, health, or morals.
How long does industrial design protection last in the Philippines?
Registration lasts five years from the filing date of the application. It may be renewed for not more than two consecutive periods of five years each, by paying the renewal fee, for a maximum of 15 years. The renewal fee is due within the 12 months preceding expiry. There is a six-month grace period after expiry, upon payment of a surcharge. Industrial designs are not maintained by annual fees.
How do I register an industrial design with IPOPHL?
Prepare a specification (title, a brief description of the views, optional characteristic features, and a claim) and drawings or other reproductions, then file online through IPOPHL’s eIDFile system and pay the official fees. You may optionally search existing designs first on IPOPHL’s WIPO Publish design database. IPOPHL then conducts a formality examination. If the formal requirements are complete, the application may be recommended for publication within five days (“ID in 5 Days”). After publication, third parties have 30 days to file adverse information. If none is filed, or after any adverse information is resolved, IPOPHL may issue a certificate of registration. Recurra can prepare and file this for you. Start with a free consultation.
How much does it cost to file an industrial design with IPOPHL?
On IPOPHL’s official Utility Model & Industrial Design fee schedule (last checked November 2026), the basic filing fee is ₱1,720 for a small entity and ₱3,600 for a big entity, before the 1% Legal Research Fund. Additional official fees may apply for each embodiment after the first, a priority claim, a deferred-publication request, issuance of the certificate, a registrability report, and later petitions to extend the term. These are government fees only. Recurra’s professional fee is separate and is quoted per case after a free consultation.
How is an industrial design different from a utility model, patent, trademark, or copyright?
An industrial design protects how a product looks — its shape, configuration, pattern, or ornamentation — not how it works. A utility model or invention patent protects a technical solution; a patent also requires an inventive step and a substantive examination, and can last 20 years, while a utility model lasts seven years and is not renewed. A trademark protects a sign that identifies the source of goods or services. Copyright protects original literary and artistic works and arises on creation, although a deposit with IPOPHL can be useful evidence. The same product can involve more than one of these rights. Recurra can help you choose the right filing in a free consultation.
Can I include more than one design in a single application?
Yes, in limited cases. The IP Code (Sec. 115) allows two or more industrial designs in one application if they relate to the same sub-class of the International Classification or to the same set or composition of articles. IPOPHL also allows several design embodiments in one application if they share substantially similar dominant design features in a single design concept, and a set of articles if each article has the same or a substantially similar design. Each embodiment after the first has an additional official fee.
Has the Philippines joined the Hague Agreement for international designs?
Not yet. As of November 2026, the Philippines is not listed among the contracting parties to the Hague Agreement on WIPO’s official list. IPOPHL has been preparing to accede to the Geneva Act, and a 2025 WIPO Annual Technical Report records that a draft declaration of accession was submitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs for review. Until accession takes effect, Philippine protection is obtained by filing a national industrial design application with IPOPHL. You cannot designate the Philippines in a Hague international design filing.
Do I need a Philippine agent to file an industrial design?
If you live in the Philippines, you may file on your own through eIDFile, though many applicants use an agent to prepare the drawings and manage deadlines. If you are not a resident of the Philippines, the Intellectual Property Code requires you to appoint a resident agent or representative here. Recurra can act in that role and will walk you through the process in a free consultation.
Get a free consultation
Tell us about the product and whether you need protection in the Philippines, abroad, or both. We will explain whether an industrial design is the right filing, the official fees that apply to your case, and a practical plan. There is no obligation.
You can also read our longer explainer, Understanding Industrial Designs in the Philippines, before we speak, or learn more about Recurra.
