Is your design already registered?

If a design already exists that looks identical or very similar to your own, your design could be challenged after registration. This could result in your design registration being invalidated (removed from the register) on the grounds that it is not 'new', with losing parties in such cases sometimes having to pay costs.

It is therefore important to be sure of the originality and novelty of your design before filing for registration. The IPO cannot search every design available on the market, but there are two ways to check if your design is already registered:

Search our database

Our database of registered designs is available online, free of charge, for you to view.

Here you should be able to get a rough idea of whether your design is already registered in the UK.

This service should not be used to determine whether your design is completely new as it does not cover unregistered designs, or Registered Community Designs External Link which cover the whole of the EU.

Request a formal search

If you prefer, we can carry out a formal search for you to look for designs which are identical to your own.

If you want us to perform a search, you must submit a Form DF21 PDF document(75Kb) with illustrations of your design and a fee of £25 for each design you wish us to search. We will then write to you telling you whether we have found any identical designs which are currently registered.

The search will only cover those designs which have been are currently registered in the UK and should not therefore be used to determine whether your design is completely new.