An application for registration of a design filed in the United States
by any person who has, or whose legal representative or predecessor or
successor in title has, previously filed an application for registration
of the same design in a foreign country which extends to designs of
owners who are citizens of the United States, or to applications filed
under this chapter, similar protection to that provided under this
chapter shall have that same effect as if filed in the United States on
the date on which the application was first filed in such foreign
country, if the application in the United States is filed within 6
months after the earliest date on which any such foreign application was
filed.