Changes to the Hague Agreement

Here's a link to WIPO Information Notice No. 18/2008 on some amendments to the Hague International Design system. It does two things: one is to give a fee discount to the worthy poor in LDCs even when they apply through intergovernmental organisations (ARIPO would qualify I guess).
The second is to establish a system for centrally recording the successful entry into the "national phase" or "regional phase", by an Office that examines international applications for this and that. OHIM does so, at least notionally, but according to an article in Alicante News, "In the first nine months of its operation WIPO published 378 IRDs ... OHIM did not find a ground for refusal in any of the published IRDs and hence statements of acceptance were communicated to WIPO for all of them." The mysterious "statements of acceptance" OHIM have been sending will now be made public by WIPO, so you can check that an international design did become valid in the EU and anywhere else that adopts the same practice. WIPO is the only place you'll find this information, as OHIM decided not to record any information itself about international designs covering Europe (unlike its trade mark practice).