The Locarno Classification for Industrial Designs in Vietnam

The Locarno Classification is an international system for categorising industrial designs by the type of product to which a design is applied. Vietnam uses this system when examining industrial design applications, which are handled by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam under the Law on Intellectual Property as amended in 2022.

What the Locarno Classification is

The Locarno Classification organises products into classes and subclasses, each covering a category of goods, from furniture and packaging to clothing and electronic devices. Its purpose is to provide a consistent way of indexing designs so that applications and searches can be carried out efficiently across different jurisdictions that use the same system.

Why classification matters in a filing

When filing an industrial design application, the product bearing the design must be identified and classified. Correct classification affects several practical points:

• It helps the office index the design and conduct examination;
• It supports clearer searches to assess novelty against earlier designs;
• It reduces the risk of objections or requests for clarification that can delay the process.

An inaccurate classification does not necessarily change the appearance protected, but it can complicate examination and later searches.

Using the classification in practice

Applicants usually identify the product and match it to the appropriate Locarno class before filing. Where a design is applied to a set of related products, the classification helps determine how the application is structured. Because the classification is periodically revised at international level, applicants should use the edition applied by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam at the time of filing.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Locarno class define the scope of protection?

Protection is defined by the design shown in the application. The class is primarily an administrative and search tool.

Can one design fall into more than one class?

A design is classified according to the product it is applied to; related products may involve different classes, which affects how the filing is arranged.

Which edition of the classification applies?

The edition applied by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam at the time of filing governs, so it is best to confirm the current edition.

How LTV Law helps

LTV Law identifies the correct Locarno classes for a design, structures the application and manages examination with the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam; to file a design, contact our team.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.