Protect a unique design with design registration
Have you designed a unique product, shape or design? For example, a new chair, piece of clothing or device with an innovative look? Protect it with a design registration. By doing so, you ensure that others cannot use, imitate or misuse your design.
Design registration
What for
Shape, product design, packaging, design, patterns.
What
The (decorative) appearance of products.
Why
Gives a monopoly (exclusive right) & protects against counterfeiting and abuse. Without registration, you have no design right.
Where
Protect in the area where you want to market the design: Benelux, EU or worldwide.
How
Check the feasibility and availability, define your strategy, and register your design in the desired area.
Protect your design in 3 steps
Check. We check whether the design meets the legal requirements, that is, whether the design is new and has an individual character.
Protect. Together we determine the best protection strategy and the views (images) are selected for the best protection. We apply for the design with the official authority and ensure that all formal requirements are met.
Act. Once registered, we keep the design in management. We advise and assist in the global expansion, extend the design registration when necessary (max. 25 years), and are always available in case of infringement. This way, your design remains well-protected.
Want to know if your designs are eligible for design protection?
Take on the world
IPCO Law knows the requirements for design registration per country. We advise on what can be protected as a design (often you don't even think about it as an entrepreneur), how the design can be protected, what the best approach is, and what the best route is in budgetary terms. If a design does not meet the requirements? Then we will be honest about this and find a solution together.
Throughout the world, there is a requirement that the design must be new at the time of application. In most countries, 'new' means within 6 months of the first time the design was made available to the public. In some countries, this can be up to a year after publication.
In any case, it is important that a unique design is protected correctly and in good time. In addition, each country must also check whether the design complies with the local requirements and it is important that the views are correct.
FAQ
Top 7 questions about design registration
To qualify for proper design protection, the design must be "new" and have an "individual character”. It must not be too similar to a design that already exists. At IPCO, we always assess whether a design meets the requirements and the best way to protect a design is.
A design registration is valid for 5 years and can be renewed up to a maximum of 25 years.
Yes, you can. A multiple design application allows you to submit multiple designs in 1 application, provided the designs fall within the same protection category.
The procedure for a design registration differs per country/area. In the Benelux and European Union, the registration procedure is purely formal. The authority does not check whether a design meets the design requirements at the time of application. If the application meets all the formalities, the design is often registered within 2 to 4 weeks.
The costs of design registration differ per country/area. It also depends on the number of designs you wish to protect in one application and sometimes on the number of published 'views' (images of the design).
In the Benelux countries, a design registration costs on average between € 450 and € 650. In the EU, a design registration costs approximately € 850. That includes advice, official agency fees, registration and management.
Often this is possible within 6 months after the expiration date.
Yes, in most countries of the world. However, there are often specific requirements for design protection. It is also important that the design is still new: not only in that country, but also anywhere else. That is why it is important that you protect the design in important markets within 1 year after the first publication.
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