European Design Protection

A Community Registered Design is a unitary right giving protection in all the countries of the European Union in a single registration.

 

The official fees are low, thus making it a very cost effective method of protecting designs in Europe.

 

Multiple designs of the same type or different embodiments can be filed in a single application. The official fees reduce for each design after the first included in a single application.

 

The applicant can take advantage of a 12 month novelty grace period, which means that if the design has been disclosed, then protection may still be possible. We can advise you on these issues on a case by case basis.

 

For more information on the procedure and costs for obtaining a Community Registered Design, please click here.

British Design Protection

Registered design protection for new products can be obtained quickly and relatively cost effectively in the UK, either via the above mentioned Community Registered Design, or directly via a British Registered Design.

 

A number of designs can now be filed in a single British design application, as long as the designs are of the same type.

 

Furthermore, the applicant can take advantage of a 12 month novelty grace period, which means that if the design has been disclosed, then protection may still be possible. We can advise you on these issues on a case by case basis.

 

For more information on the procedure and costs for obtaining a UK Registered Design, please click here.

In most countries, we are able to obtain Registered Design protection through our network of local attorneys around the world.

 

For more information on filing national design applications in other countries, please click here.

When a design is created or first marketed in the UK, design right in the design subsists automatically by virtue of the design's creation or offer. No formal registration procedure is necessary. Protection can last for a maximum of 15 years from the end of the calendar year in which the design was first recorded in a design document or an article was first made to the design, whichever occurred first.

 

A similar right, Unregistered Community Design (UCD) right, comes into being when a design is first made available to the public in the European Community. However, a UCD has a term limited to 3 years from the date that the design is first made available to the public.

 

For more information on Unregistered Design Rights, please click here.