At a meeting of the Foreign Relations Committee, lawmakers discussed the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law and its accompanying regulations.

As explained by the Parliamentary Secretary of the Government, Vakhtang Bachiashvili, Georgia, upon the government’s submission, will accede to the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law and its regulations.

The decision aims to simplify operations for Georgian designers and entrepreneurs in international markets and reduce bureaucratic barriers.

According to the presenter, the Riyadh Treaty was adopted in Saudi Arabia in 2024 during the diplomatic conference of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The treaty’s primary objective is to establish unified minimum standards in the field of design protection, significantly reducing the costs and delays caused by differing procedures across countries.

Vakhtang Bachiashvili noted that, at this stage, the treaty is supported by 28 signatory states, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Iceland, and others.

By joining the treaty, Georgian designers as well as representatives of small and medium-sized businesses will find it easier to secure legal protection for their works abroad.

As the presenter explained, although Georgia’s current national legislation is largely aligned with international standards, accession to the treaty requires certain amendments to the Law on Design.

The draft law defines the legal basis, conditions, and procedural rules for restoring priority rights and expands the list of services subject to legally established fees. In particular, the law will introduce fees related to the restoration of priority rights and the restoration of the rights of the design holder. In addition, the law will include a provision regulating the restoration of the rights of a design owner in cases where procedural deadlines are missed.

“By accessing the Riyadh International Treaty on Design Law, Georgian intellectual property law will become even more closely aligned with the latest trends in the field of intellectual property”, - Vakhtang Bachiashvili stated.

The Foreign Relations Committee also supported the establishment of a friendship group between the Parliament of Georgia and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The draft amendment to the relevant parliamentary resolution was presented by the Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, Nikoloz Samkharadze.

The draft resolution will enter into force immediately upon adoption so that, on its basis, the Parliamentary Bureau may determine the head and members of the Georgia–Morocco Parliamentary Friendship Group.