Annual Technical Report on Industrial Design Information Activities in 2025 submitted by the State Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova (AGEPI)

I. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

In 2025, the State Agency on Intellectual Property of the Republic of Moldova (AGEPI) received a total of 220 applications for registration of 775 industrial designs (ID). Under the national procedure were filed 54 applications (24,6%), which included 290 ID (37,4%), and under The Hague Agreement procedure - 166 applications (75,4%) with 485 ID (62,6%). Compared to 2024, the number of filed applications increased by 20 (10%), and the number of ID embedded in these applications decreased – by 2 (26%). In the reference period, national applicants filed 50 applications (22,7% of the total number) with 256 ID (33%), being attested an decreased by 7,4% in the number of applications and concomitantly, increased by 1,2% in the number of ID, compared with the previous year. Foreign applicants submitted 170 applications with 519 ID (77,3% and, respectively, 67% of the total filed), which is an increase by 11,8% and, decrease, by 1% as compared with 2024. The absolute majority of applications proceeded from foreign applicants (97,1%) were filed under The Hague Agreement procedure.

Under the national procedure, most of the applications were filed by applicants from the Republic of Moldova, AGEPI also received applications from foreign applicants from three countries – UA, US and DE. Under the Hague Agreement were received applications from 21 countries, most of them coming from Switzerland, Germany and Italy. During the reporting period were also filed 501 renewal applications for 1731 ID, by 7,7% and, respectively, 10,5% more as compared with the previous year. Most renewal applications – 438 (87,4%) were from foreign applicants, of which 422 were filed under the Hague Agreement. Of the number of registrations, which term of validity was supposed to expire in 2025 the weight of renewed ones is quite high, constituting 65,17% (421 of 646) in the case of international registrations and 59,46% (66 of 111) for national ones. On 31 December 2025, of the total number of 1983 ID registration certificates, issued by AGEPI, 381 were valid (19,2%), including 279 renewed (73,2% of the valid certificates). Of the total of 8512 international registrations of ID, for which protection was acquired in the Republic of Moldova, 2232 (26,2%) were valid, including 1688 renewed (75,6% of the valid international registrations).

During the year 2025, there were subject to substantive examination:

- 44 applications with 309 ID, filed under the national procedure, of which 45 ID (14,6%) were rejected;

- 154 international applications with 501 ID, received under the Hague Agreement, being rejected 21 ID (13,6%).

In the year under review, 24 certificates of registration for 177 ID were issued, compared with 2024 being attested a increase of 140% in the number of certificates and a increase of 186% in the number of ID.

The most important office notices and news regarding the IP objects are provided directly on our website with free access www.agepi.gov.md. Detailed information on industrial designs can be found by accessing the following link http://www.agepi.gov.md/en/content/industrial-designs.

As regards the general information about IP objects, their protection and related events organized in the view to promote them on the national and international level, the statistics data and their impact to the national economy, could be found in the Annual Report, published by AGEPI every year and distributed on the official web page http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/50.

II. SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

Detailed information regarding requirements with respect to the documents of application in order to register an industrial design may be accessed at http://agepi.gov.md/en/node/6737

Detailed information regarding e-filing (including, a user guide to electronic service for online filing of IPO applications and, guide for completion) can be accessed at the following link: https://e-servicii.agepi.gov.md/en.

AGEPI also has a Call-center and a consultancy office, which offer consultations, information and support for the applicants by phone or in person.

The Republic of Moldova became a state party to the Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs (1968) on December 1, 1997. The Agency uses the International Classification for Industrial Designs since 1994. All the documents are classified according to the Locarno Classification. The classification symbols (the 14th edition of the Classification) of an application are allotted by the applicant. It is up to the Agency to afterwards check, and eventually to correct, the classification symbols.

III. SOURCES OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE

The most important publications in the field of industrial design documentation are the following:

- The Official Bulletin of Intellectual Property (BOPI) – monthly publication (PDF format);

- The National Industrial Designs Register;

- The National Industrial Designs Applications Register.

The Official Bulletin of Intellectual Property is a monthly publication, which includes official information on applications for patenting/registration of intellectual property objects (IPO) in the Republic of Moldova and titles of protection granted, to the changes that occurred in the legal status of applications and titles of protection of IPO and the results of appeals examination in the Contestation Commission of AGEPI, court decisions on disputes over IPOs, general information. The BOPI is issued in Romanian, English and Russian languages on paper carrier (ISSN 1810-7095), and online on the AGEPI website http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/48. To receive the Official Bulletin of Intellectual Property (BOPI) on paper subscription fee is required.

BOPI includes Section V with information on industrial designs.

Section V contains:

-   BA1L Applications for registration (bibliographic data and graphic reproduction);

-   List of industrial designs applications containing a request on publication delay;

-   FF4L List of registered industrial designs;

-   FG4L List of industrial design certificates,

-   ND4L List of renewed industrial designs;

-  FG4L List of industrial designs registered in the Republic of Moldova according to the Hague Agreement, ranged in numerical order and in the order of the ICID.

Section VI contains various types of notices referring to all amendments that occurred to the legal status of the protected industrial property objects (List of amendments, List of cession contracts, Errata, FC9L List of rejected industrial designs, FA9L List of withdrawal industrial designs, MK4L List of industrial design registration certificates the term of validity of which has expired, etc), etc.

The Annual Report reflects the activity of the AGEPI during the whole year. It includes data on the registration/patenting of intellectual property objects, the most important events organised with the participation of the AGEPI as a partner and implemented projects and goals for the following year. The Publication is issued and distributed to regional IP Offices and national public authorities on the paper carrier and is available online at the following address: http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/50

 “Intellectus” – is the journal of intellectual property which has been regularly published as a quarterly journal since 1995 (ISSN 1810-7079 –on the paper carrier and ISSN 1857-0496 – on CD-ROM). According to joint Decision of the Supreme Council for Science and Technological Development (CSSDT) of ASM and the National Council for Accreditation and Attestation (CNAA) No. 3 of 30 January 2014 "On the results of evaluation and classification of scientific journals in the field",  "Intellectus" journal was accredited to “B” classification category, law, technology, biology, chemistry and economics profiles. “Intellectus” journal pursues the competent and multilateral reflection of intellectual property aspects, elucidation of provisions of the national and international IP legislation, publication of scientific and methodological materials, providing the public with information on the country`s intellectual treasure, etc. The journal also covers the procedures for acquiring intellectual property protection, reveals the mechanism of enforcement and observance of rights, exploitation of IP objects, and publishes studies signed by researchers in various fields of science, economy and technology.

The journal is available online at the following address: http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/49.

"AGEPI Info"– is a supplement to the “Intellectus” journal and deals with different aspects of IP protection quarterly, reproduces certain IP-related materials of the written and online press. The publication is distributed within the main IP promotion actions, seminars and exhibitions, training courses for employees organized by AGEPI.  Through the heading “Stock of Inventions” the best domestic patented inventions proposed by inventors for implementation are promoted. The publication is available on the paper carrier and online at the following address: http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/51.

“AGEPI Expo” – is a supplement to the “Intellectus” journal. The publication is devoted to the results of each edition of the International Specialized Exhibition "INFOINVENT". It includes more interviews with participants from home and abroad in this forum of inventions. It reveals the mechanism of exploitation of intellectual property objects, provides business people with useful information on conclusion of assignment and license contracts in order to implement the latest scientific and technical achievements in production. The publication is issued on paper carrier and available online at the following address: http://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/52.The information products available to examiners, including external documentation and databases, are:

- MD - internal database daily updated;

- EUIPO, RO, UA – online databases;

- RU – internal database updated until 31.12.2022;

- WIPO – internal database weekly updated.

External users have access to public Industrial Designs Database at http://www.db.agepi.md/DMI/Search (monthly updated). The access is free of charge and doesn’t require authentication.

The Database contains such compartments as:

-Issued decisions;

- Expiring ID;

- Expired/forfeited ID, in the grace period;

- List of owners with expiring ID;

- List of patent attorneys representing owners with expiring ID;

- List of Industrial Designs for which a decision of the Commission was issued (use of the official or historical name of the state).

IV. ICT SUPPORT TO SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE

AGEPI uses an in-house built IT system to handle national cases. It manages online filing workflow, electronic dossier and electronic archive, data exchange, internal and public search engines, and their daily updates. Microsoft Word is used for various purposes like processing information and documents, generating correspondence letters, publication files and miscellaneous reports.

The office uses workstations and notebooks with Microsoft Windows 10. All devices are connected via the 100 Mb/s or 1 Gb/s network into the Microsoft Active Directory Domain. AGEPI has a fiber channel link into the internet with 1 Gb/s. The IT infrastructure is being moved off premises into gouvernemental data centres (MCloud).

Within the examination of the applications for registration of industrial designs submitted by the international procedure (The Hague System) all documents are issued and signed in electronic format and the communication with WIPO is also made only in electronic format.

For applications of registration of industrial designs submitted through the national procedure on paper, all documents are scanned in the "Electronic file".

At the disposal of examiners in their daily practice, there are the following databases:

- National database “Industrial Design” (daily updated);

- RU – internal database (not updated since 01.01.2023);

- WIPO – internal database (weekly updated).

During the second half of the 2023 the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) tested successful  the possibility to use in the substantive examination of applications for registration of industrial designs received via national and international procedures the Image Search technology in the DesignView Database with reference to Community applications for registration of industrial designs submitted to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Starting from January 1, 2024, the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) has implemented mentioned technology.

(https://agepi.gov.md/en/news/agepi-uses-image-search-technology-implemented-euipo).

The office maintains a complete history of its industrial design files in paper and electronic form. Information from the internal databases is available in:

The industrial design information is disseminated in WIPO ST. 96 XML format.

Informational Services rendered by AGEPI

http://agepi.gov.md/en/services/information-services-provided-agepi

Industrial designs.

http://agepi.gov.md/en/design/presentation

Search in ID Databases

http://www.db.agepi.md/DMI/Search.aspx

Industrial Designs.

Guides:

Guide for the examination of applications for registration of industrial designs http://agepi.gov.md/ro/ghid_dmi/introducere

Guides on filling in forms:

http://agepi.gov.md/en/formulare/design

http://agepi.gov.md/sites/default/files/formulare/ghid/gh-2112-0038_.pdf

http://agepi.gov.md/sites/default/files/formulare/ghid/gh-2109_0039.pdf

http://agepi.gov.md/sites/default/files/formulare/ghid/gh-2110_0040.pdf

http://agepi.gov.md/sites/default/files/formulare/ghid/gh-2113_0041.pdf

fhttp://agepi.gov.md/sites/default/files/formulare/ghid/gh-2116_0043.pdf

V. PROMOTION ACTIVITIES AIMED TO SUPPORT USERS IN ACCESS AND EFFICIENT USE OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION

AGEPI provides  Bibliographic Information Services.

The national collection of documents in the field of intellectual property includes databases (DB) with industrial designs of the Republic of Moldova; books and serial publications in the field of IP, etc.

The Collection is annually supplemented with new documents in different fields, which are reflected in the electronic Catalog and in specialized DBs.

Beneficiaries of the bibliographic information services in the field of IP are the experts and other employees of AGEPI, as well as all interested persons outside the institution: researchers, inventors and rationalizers, teaching staff, students, etc.

They benefit from:

  • access to the National Collection of patents, patent applications, trademarks, utility models, and new varieties of plants;
  • informational assistance in support of their creativity;
  • the possibility of using the electronic Catalog of the book collection (DB BOOKS) and that of the articles from the periodical editions in the field of intellectual property (DB ART-IP), as well as access to the electronic databases of AGEPI and offices abroad;
  • methodological assistance in information retrieval in electronic DBs;
  • information and bibliographic servicing;
  • the opportunity to participate in information promotion activities in the field of IP carried out at local and republican level

Collection

The national Collection of documents in the field of intellectual property owned by AGEPI consists of the following types of documents:

  • Databases on electronic support in the field of intellectual property;
  • Books in the field of intellectual property, legislative documents, normative acts, international treaties and agreements, dictionaries and encyclopedias in different branches of the economy, official and methodical publications of AGEPI, periodicals;
  • In 2011, the “WIPO Depositary Library” was established within AGEPI, with the aim of creating a specialized book fund in the field of IP.

List of specialized journals:

Education and training

AGEPI organizes free seminars, workshops, round tables, and training sessions to raise awareness and improve users’ knowledge of the intellectual property system, with a particular focus on trademarks and other IP rights. These activities provide practical information on trademark protection procedures, legal aspects, the strategic use of trademarks, and the role of branding in business development. Training is delivered during national and international exhibitions, as well as through thematic events organized by AGEPI or upon request from businesses, universities, research institutions, and other stakeholders, either at AGEPI’s premises or at the beneficiaries’ location.

For more information on the intellectual property training services provided by AGEPI, including seminars, workshops, professional training courses, and e-learning opportunities, please visit: https://agepi.gov.md/en/services/training-intellectual-property.

VI.INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION

AGEPI performs an international exchange of information on industrial design with:

- Design View (EUIPO);

- Global Design Database (WIPO).

During the year 2025, AGEPI has participated in the following international and regional activities related to industrial designs:

  • WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications (SCT), March 24 to 27, 2025, Geneva, Switzerland;
  • The 14th session of WIPO Working Group on the Legal Development of the Hague System for international registration of industrial design, organized from October 6 to 8, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Locarno Union Committee of Experts on the International Classification of Industrial Designs (CEL/17), organized from October 20 to 22, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Exchange of experience in the field of industrial designs, organized from November 20 to 22, 2025, in Bucharest, Romania.

VII. ACTIVITIES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WIPO STANDARDS CONCERNING INDUSTRIAL DESIGN INFORMATION


WIPO Standard ST.2:  Standard manner for designating calendar dates by using the Gregorian calendar

Fully implemented


WIPO Standard ST.3:  Recommended standard on two-letter codes for the representation of states, other entities and intergovernmental organizations

Fully implemented

Link: https://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/48 in The Official Bulletin of Intellectual Property


WIPO Standard ST.13:  Recommendation for the numbering of applications for industrial property rights (IPRs)

Fully implemented


WIPO Standard ST.80:  Recommendation concerning bibliographic data relating to industrial designs

Fully implemented

Link: https://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/48 in The Official Bulletin of Intellectual Property


WIPO Standard ST.81:  Recommendation concerning the content and layout of industrial design gazettes

Fully implemented

Link: https://agepi.gov.md/en/publication/48 in The Official Bulletin of Intellectual Property

 

WIPO Standard ST.86:  Recommendation for the processing of industrial design information using XML (extensible markup language)

Fully implemented

Used for data exchange with WIPO and EUIPO.


WIPO Standard ST.87:  Recommendation for the exchange of industrial design legal status data

No plan to implement


WIPO Standard ST.88:  Recommendations for electronic representation of industrial designs

No plan to implement


WIPO Standard ST.90:  Recommendation for processing and communicating intellectual property data using web APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)

No plan to implement


WIPO Standard ST.91:  Recommendations on digital three-dimensional (3D) models and 3D images

No plan to implement


WIPO Standard ST.92:  Recommendations on the data package format for the electronic exchange of priority documents

No plan to implement


WIPO Standard ST.96:  Recommendation for the processing of intellectual property information using XML (extensible markup language)

Fully implemented


WIPO Standard ST.97:  Recommendation for processing of intellectual property data using JSON

No plan to implement


VIII. OTHER RELATED MATTERS