Overview

A design may be filed in Israel for any industrial object or product which has form shape or decoration which is noticeable to the eye. It must be novel and original, and not been published in Israel prior to the application date for design protection by way of sale, marketing, exhibition or publication in catalogs, magazines and the like.

The local rather than absolute novelty requirement is an oddity in Israel.

In December 2008, in a Circular (M. N. 69), the Israel Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks ruled that the legal requirement of novelty in designs registrations in Israel, as stated in Rule 30 of the Patent and Trademark Ordinance now includes anything published on the Internet and accessible in Israel. However, it is not clear whether this additional requirement, though sensible, will stand up in the Courts or be considered Ultra Vires.