Design Law

Design Law is primarily concerned with protecting the visual aspects of products, such as their shape, configuration, pattern, or ornamentation.

Design registrations are the primary means of protecting the visual appearance of products under Design Law.

To obtain a design registration, the design must be new and original, capable of industrial application, and not contrary to public order or morality.

The term of protection for a design registration is typically 10 years from the date of filing the application.

The remedies available for infringement of a design registration include injunctions, damages, and an account of profits.

Design patents protect the functional aspects of products, while design registrations protect the visual aspects of products.

The Coca-Cola bottle, the Apple iPhone, and the Nike swoosh are all examples of famous design registrations.

The increasing globalization of trade, the rapid pace of technological change, and the rise of online piracy are all challenges facing Design Law today.

The adoption of the Hague Agreement on Designs, the establishment of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the creation of the European Union Design Directive are all recent developments in Design Law.

Design Law is likely to become more harmonized internationally, more focused on protecting digital designs, and more important in the context of sustainable development in the future.