Design rights give additional protection and commercial flexibility.
They can act as a deterrent to potential copiers of your ideas. You can mark the product and product literature with the registered design number.
Registered designs are valuable assets that may be licensed and sold, as part of a business.
They can act as a deterrent to potential copiers of your ideas. You can mark the product and product literature with the registered design number.
Registered designs are valuable assets that may be licensed and sold, as part of a business.
Copyright:
Copyright protection arises automatically from the creation of an artistic or literary work. Copyright allows the owner to prevent others from copying substantial portions of the protected work.
Design Rights
A design refers to the appearance of a part or the whole of a product resulting from the features of, in particular, the lines, contours, colours, shape, texture or materials of a product.
The design may be one or both of:
The shape of a product
The decoration applied to a product
A granted registered design lasts for up to 25 years but does not guarantee that the owner can make and sell the product. Rather, design registration gives the owner the right to stop others from making, using or selling a similar product. This right is in addition to any unregistered design rights or copyright protection that may exist automatically in the design.
We advise clients on the protection of their designs and regularly represent them in obtaining registered UK and European Community Designs.