Director Merdžo participated in the CEBS Regional Conference on Design Law

Tbilisi, April 29, 2026 - Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Josip Merdžo, participated in the work of the Regional Conference of Central European and Baltic States (CEBS) on design law, which was held on April 28 and 29 in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi.

The conference was organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in cooperation with the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia (SAKPATENTI), with the participation of 14 European countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Albania, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Georgia). The conference was addressed by senior officials from Georgia and WIPO, including a video address by WIPO Director General Daren Tang.

Conference participants discussed the role of design, one of the most important areas of intellectual property in the modern economy, as well as important aspects of the Riyadh Design Law Treaty (RDLT) and the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs.

Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property of BiH, Josip Merdžo, gave a presentation as part of the session entitled "Riyadh Design Law Treaty (RDLT): Purpose and Introduction", where the main challenges of design protection and how the RDLT solves these challenges were discussed. The speakers highlighted the main features of the Treaty and explained the procedures that need to be followed from signature to ratification of the RDLT.

WIPO member states adopted the Design Law Treaty in November 2024 at a diplomatic conference in Riyadh, after almost two decades of negotiations. The treaty was signed on behalf of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Josip Merdžo, Director of the Institute for Intellectual Property of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The treaty makes it much easier for designers around the world to protect their designs in their home countries and abroad.

The group of Central European and Baltic States (CEBS) within WIPO acts as a regional, political and negotiating bloc that promotes a balanced international intellectual property system which encourages innovation and ensures sustainable growth.