The way a product looks is often as commercially important as how it works. Registered design rights protect exactly that — and are frequently underused.
We advise clients on whether a product's shape, pattern or ornamentation qualifies for design protection, and on how that protection complements any trademark or patent rights already covering the same product.
Once a filing strategy is set, we handle preparation and filing of the application — nationally, at EU level, or through our associate network abroad — and manage prosecution through to registration.
Registered designs require periodic renewal to stay in force. As with our trademark and patent portfolios, we track these deadlines proactively across a client's full set of registrations, so protection continues uninterrupted for as long as it's needed.
Product appearance frequently overlaps with branding and function. We routinely advise on how design rights interact with trademarks and patents covering the same product, to build one coherent protection strategy rather than three separate ones.
We can tell you what's worth registering, and what isn't.