UK Registered Designs

Get value from your best-looking assets

UK registered designs, also referred to as design patents, are often overlooked. They are inexpensive, quick to secure and can last longer than patents.

Registered designs protect the way something looks rather than the way it works. For example, if you have designed an amazing new mobile phone that folds into quarters, you can probably get a patent for the mechanism and a registered design for the way it looks. If, on the other hand, you have designed a new teapot, there may not be much patentable about it, but its distinctive appearance can be protected with a registered design.

Enjoy the full benefits with the right approach

The great thing about registered designs is that they are not examined to determine if they are new and sufficiently distinctive to be valid. They undergo a swift formalities examination and are then registered. That’s it! They also last for an initial period of five years and can be renewed in further five-year blocks up to 25 years in total, longer than most patents.

There are also savings to be made in following the right filing strategy. You can file several different designs as part of the same application. This significantly reduces the (already low) filing fees.

Typically, UK designs are registered and published shortly after they are filed. That said, we can defer publication for up to 12 months if you would rather keep the product under wraps. Like patents, we use our legal knowledge to adapt the process and match clients’ needs.

We have filed many design applications for our clients. Although they seem simple, it is worth thinking about the scope you are trying to achieve. There are several high-profile cases where applicants have included details in their design application that have undermined their ability to enforce those designs. We pride ourselves on securing the best possible protection for our clients.

Design rights

In the UK and the EU, we have some unregistered IP rights known as “design rights” or “unregistered designs”. You don’t need to file anything to get these. They apply as soon as you design a product or put it on the market. The rules can be quite complex, but the rights are free of charge and offer protection, regardless of whether you have filed a registered design.

They don’t last as long as registered designs, and you must prove that someone else has copied them for a successful enforcement. However, they can be very useful. 

We have the legal expertise to help you navigate the complex world of unregistered designs. Plus, we’ll help you take action against those who have copied your products.