Registered design protection

If you are creating products or articles, which are unique because they look different from anything else currently available, then you might want to protect the look by registering it as a design.

Why should I register my design?

Registering your design gives you exclusive rights for the look and appearance of your product. The existence of your design registration may be enough on its own to stop anyone copying your design irrespective of whether they copied or came up with the design independently.

A registered design allows you to:

• sell your design and the intellectual property (IP) rights to it
• license your design to someone else and retain the IP rights to it.

The public will also benefit from your design as it will be published. Others can gain useful information and see the latest developments in design technology which can be used freely once the design registration ceases.

What happens if I do not register?

If you do not apply for a registered design, your creations may receive limited protection through unregistered design right or copyright. However, you will not be able to stop anyone producing similar articles by independent creation.