Design Registration

The author of a new or original design can apply for a design registration. A design registration gives the owner the right to stop other people copying the design for a limited period of time.

In order to be eligible for a design registration, a design must be new or original when compared with anything which has previously been published or used. There are two main types of designs: designs which consist of pattern or ornamentation applicable to the surface of an article, and designs which consist of features of shape and configuration of an article.
An application for a design registration must include representations of the design. After the application is filed, it is reviewed by a designs examiner, who provides a report on any matters which might prevent the application from being accepted. If the application is accepted, the design is registered for an initial one year period.

We assist business to obtain design registrations by preparing design representations, filing design applications, responding to examiners' reports and oppositions raised by other persons, managing the complexity of multiple applications in multiple countries, and managing the payment of renewal fees and other government taxes.