Protection of Graphical User Interfaces as Registered Design Rights or Design Patents in Hungary

Standard Filing Fee

The official fee for filing a registered design application with the Hungarian Intellectual Protection Office (“HIPO”) is :

• HUF 27.000 (approx. €71.05) for one design if the applicant is not the same as the author, or
• HUF 6.750 (approx. €17.75) for one design if the applicant is also the author

For each subsequent design (up to a max of 50 designs), the fee is:

• HUF 5,000 (approx. €13.16) if the applicant is not the same as the author
• HUF 1,250 (approx. €3.29) if the applicant is also the author.

Filing fee for Online Applications

If the application is submitted electronically, the filing fees are slightly lower:

• HUF 22,950 (approx. €60.38) if the applicant is not the same as the author
• HUF 5,738 (approx. €15.08) if the applicant is identical to the author

For each subsequent design (up to a max of 50 designs), the fee is:

• HUF 4,250 (approx. €11.18) if the applicant is not the same as the author
• HUF 1,063 (approx. €2.80) if the applicant is also the author

The fee for a design protection opinion is HUF 25.000 (approx. €65.79).

• The registration must be renewed on its fifth anniversary, for up to a maximum of 25 years.
• Fees:
  • 1st renewal: HUF 86.000 (approx. €226) or HUF 43.000 (approx. €113) in case the applicant is also the author.
  • 2nd renewal: HUF 115.000 (approx. €303) or HUF 57 500 (approx. €151) in case the applicant is identical to the author.
  • 3rd renewal: HUF 144.000 (approx. €379) or HUF 72 000 (approx. €190) in case the applicant is also the author.
  • 4th renewal: HUF 216.000 (approx. €568) or HUF 108 000 (approx. €284) in case the applicant is also the author.
• In case of partial renewal - meaning the protection for multiple designs is renewed for only some of the designs - the same fees apply as provided above in section 4b. subsection i-iv.

The HIPO’s procedure to grant a design right usually takes up to 3-4 months, if no objections are identified.

When determining if a design is new or has individual character, any public disclosure of the design made within 12 months before the priority date will not be considered if the disclosure was made by the applicant, its predecessor in title, or by a third person as a result of information provided or action taken by the applicant or its predecessor in title.

There is no deferment under Hungarian law. 

If the applicant acts through representation, the application must include a POA. The application for the design must include a reference to the design claim, the applicant’s name and address, and a representation of the design.

• It is not mandatory to submit priority claims when applying for design protection. However, should the applicant intend to submit priority documents, various forms of priority are available for consideration: filing, EU, exhibition and internal.
  • Filing priority: the filing date of the design application.
  • EU priority: under the Paris Union Convention, if the design has already been applied for in another EU country, it can be applied for in Hungary within 6 months with a right of priority.
  • Internal priority: the applicant may also claim priority on the basis of his own previous Hungarian application filed within 6 months. If validated, the earlier design application shall be considered withdrawn.
  • Exhibition priority: if the design has been officially exhibited and the date of commencement of the exhibition precedes the application by a maximum of 6 months, priority may be claimed. 
• The priority claim must be submitted within 2 months and the supporting documents within 4 months from the date of filing. The exhibition priority certificate must be accompanied by a description and, if necessary, a drawing certifying that the design presented is identical to the design submitted.
• No WIPO DAS code is required to be filed with the initial application.

• The HIPO carries out both formal and substantive examination of design applications.
• In case of formal examination, the HIPO examines the following:
  • the application, the representation of the design, the designation of the product corresponding to the design, and the additional annexes.
  • a design application must include the designer’s name and address. If the designer does not want this information published, they can request to have it shown on a separate page instead.
• In case of substantive examination:
  • The design meets the requirements of the following:
    • A design refers to the appearance of a whole product or part of it, based on features like lines, shape, colour, texture, materials, or decoration.
    • A product is any industrial or handmade item, including parts of complex products, packaging, presentation, graphic symbols, and typefaces — but not computer programs.
    • A complex product is made up of replaceable parts that can be taken apart and put back together.
  • the design excluded from design protection or not

From 1 January 2024, the HIPO does not perform prior art searches. However, the HIPO prepares a protectability opinion upon the applicant’s request, which is based on a novelty search.

• Yes, priority claims are examined. Please see the answer provided for section 9.
• There is no guidance for the case when priority is claimed from a design patent which might be visually different but might still cover the same subject matter. 

In Hungary, design applications are not open to objection by third parties before protection is granted. However, after protection is granted, any person may request its invalidation on the ground that the subject matter of the design protection is not eligible for such protection, the representation does not lawfully depict the design, the subject matter of the design protection is not identical to the design in the application, or the design protection was not granted to the person legally entitled to it.

50 representations allowed.

The design may only be represented by a photograph, drawing, or other graphical means. The Hungarian legislation does not provide for video uploads in relation to design applications.

• Designs must be clearly shown using photos, drawings, or graphics that reveal all visible features affecting appearance. Multiple views may be needed, with at least one showing the full design. Each image shows only one view, and parts not claimed for protection must be visually marked, usually with dotted lines. Color images are required if color matters. Photos must have a neutral background, good lighting, and no digital edits. Drawings should be on plain white paper, realistic, and free of text or technical symbols.
• Hungarian law specifies how applications must be submitted and requires that no written disclaimers be used - any exclusions must be clearly shown in the images themselves to define the protection scope.

• The design must be represented by a photograph, drawing, or other graphical means.
• Additional rules and requirements:
  • The representation must clearly depict the design.
  • Objects, persons, or animals that could obstruct the clear identification of the design must not be included in the representation.
  • At least one representation must fully display the design in its entirety.
  • A single representation may only depict one view of the design.
  • The representation may be submitted in colour or black-and-white format.
  • Graphical representations must be prepared on white, opaque, A4-sized paper, using dark, clearly visible, durable, and evenly thick lines, without folds or breaks.

• A GUI can be protected by copyright if it qualifies as an original graphic work, meaning it is not copied from an existing creation. This protection is provided under the Hungarian Act LXXVI of 1999 on Copyright.
• It is also possible to protect elements of a GUI by registering them as figurative trademarks in accordance with the Hungarian Act XI of 1997 on the Protection of Trademarks and Geographical Indications.

The design protection must not affect the copyright protection of the design as an artistic work. Various intellectual property rights can apply simultaneously alongside a registered design. For instance, a GUI may receive design protection for up to 25 years. In addition, if parts of the GUI - such as logos or other visual elements - qualify as artistic creations, they may be safeguarded by copyright, which generally lasts for the creator’s lifetime plus 70 years after their passing. Furthermore, distinctive features of a GUI can also be registered as trademarks, providing protection that can be maintained indefinitely through periodic renewals.

• In general, applicants must pay attention to deadlines, and to pay the fee of the procedure.
• The applicant must prove that the design is new and individual.
• The applicant must pay attention to the grounds for exclusion and ensure that the application is filed in accordance with the formal requirements.
• If the applicant requests for priority, must apply the required documentations in time.

• Collect all the relevant information for the application, with particular attention to the formal requirements.
• Make comprehensive documentation.
• Request a design protection opinion.
• Consider copyright protection too.

Hungary is a party to the Hague Agreement, so an international design application can be filed. The HIPO conducts a substantive examination of international design applications, which involves checking whether the design meets the requirements set out in section 10.

• Hungary has recently undergone significant changes in design protection laws, aligning its system more closely with EU regulations.
• The HIPO conducts a narrower examination of designs, focusing primarily on formal requirements rather than substantive aspects like novelty or individual character from January 2024.
• Another reform aims to make design registration faster, simpler, and more cost-effective, bringing Hungary’s system closer to the EUIPO process.
• Since January 1, 2024, the HIPO no longer examines whether a design is solely dictated by technical function or whether it must be implemented in a specific form to interact with other products.
• The EU Design Legislative Reform Package, effective May 2025, also expands design protection to animated GUIs, allowing broader coverage for digital designs.