Design protection. Registered designs. Protecting the looks.

Design protection and registered designs are used to protect the appearance of something. If your product has a unique appearance or design, you should consider design protection to prevent others from creating something similar.

Protect how your product looks.

Design protection is used to protect the design and appearance of a product, but not its function or underlying idea. Good design often drives sales and is therefore worth protecting. A registered design can also be a key success factor when negotiating with investors or drafting licensing agreements, as investors and business partners can feel confident that the company holds exclusive rights to the design.

The exclusive right associated with design protection is normally acquired through registration. To be eligible for registration, the design must be new and possess individual character (produce a different overall impression than previously known designs). A registered design provides you with documented protection for the design for up to 25 years. In the EU, there is also an unregistered design right that arises automatically. It lasts for a shorter period, only 3 years, and offers a narrower scope of protection.

Unlike patents, most countries have a so-called grace period, which is an exception to the novelty requirement. This means you can apply for design protection even after disclosing your product, provided that, in most countries, you do so within 12 months.

Get in touch with one of our specialists to see how we can help you protect your design.

Call or email us directly to discuss your thoughts and questions regarding design protection. As European design attorneys, we have supported countless clients for many years in protecting their designs, both within and outside the EU. We stay on top of all the rules and details so you can feel completely confident that your design protection is in safe hands.

Jakob Broman

Head of Design European Patent Attorney European Design Attorney

Jonas Delander

Head of Patent European Patent Attorney European Design Attorney

Viveka Anderberg

European Patent Attorney European Design Attorney

Get in touch with any one of us and we will help you.

We can help you with most aspects of design protection. From registrations to infringement assessments.

We are your partner in everything related to design protection, from strategic advice to actual registrations and infringement assessments. We help you secure the rights to your designs worldwide and ensure that your unique expressions remain protected regardless of the market. In addition to this, we handle a range of other design-related matters, which you can read more about below.

Applications and registrations

We ensure that your applications are correctly drafted, filed, and processed - whether in Sweden or the rest of the world. We handle the administration and contact with the relevant authorities to secure your design.

Database searches

Through database searches, we can investigate what is already registered and help you assess whether your design is unique enough to be protected, or if there is a risk of infringing on the rights of others.

Strategic advice

We help you think strategically about your designs. Based on your business model and from a holistic perspective, we ensure that your design protection complements your other IP rights, creating a strong, comprehensive safeguard for your business.

Infringement and litigation

Has someone else copied your design? Or are you concerned that your intended product is too close to someone else's protection? Let us make an assessment, and if necessary, we can take action against the counterparty - whether through negotiation or in court.

Unsure whether you should protect your design? Get in touch with us and we can figure it out together.

Do you want to learn more about design protection?

What is required to obtain design protection?

To qualify for design protection, your design must meet two basic criteria: it must be new and possess individual character.

The novelty requirement means that there must be no prior identical or virtually identical designs on the market that have been disclosed to the public before the application is filed. However, a design is not considered publicly disclosed in a way that prevents registration if the disclosure was made by you within a 12-month period prior to the filing date. This 12-month period is commonly referred to as the “grace period.”

For a design to be eligible for protection, it must also have individual character. This assessment is based on the overall impression that an informed user receives from the design compared to previously known designs and creations.

In addition, several further criteria must be met:

The design must not be dictated solely by its technical function. Design protection is purely an appearance protection, not a functional protection. Technical functions belong within patent law.
The design must not contain someone else’s trademark, portrait, surname, or copyright.
The design must not be contrary to public policy or accepted principles of morality, nor may it contain a national coat of arms or national flag.

How long does design protection last?

In Sweden and the EU, design protection initially offers protection for five years from the filing date of the application. This protection can then be renewed for additional periods of five years each, up to a maximum total protection period of 25 years. To maintain the protection, you must actively renew the registration at the end of each five-year period and pay a renewal fee. Maintaining your protection is essential to keeping your design continuously safeguarded against imitations and unauthorized use in the market over a longer period.

In other countries, different validity periods for design protection apply. In the US, for example, the period of protection is only 15 years.

How can design protection and patents be used as complementary forms of protection?

Design protection can serve as a complementary protection to patents, and the two are not mutually exclusive.

Design protection covers the appearance of a product or a part of a product, specifically regarding lines, contours, colors, shapes, surface structures, and materials. Patent protection, on the other hand, protects the idea behind a solution to a technical problem.

If you wish to apply for patent protection for the same product, timing is crucial, as premature disclosure of the design can constitute a novelty bar against the patent.

Is an unregistered design protected?

In addition to registered design protection, an unregistered design right exists in the EU and a few other countries. However, an unregistered design in the EU has a shorter term of protection and a narrower scope of protection—it is only protected for three years and applies solely against direct copies and imitations.

If you want longer-lasting protection, you must apply for a registered design right within one year of its public disclosure.

Read our design-related articles to learn more.

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