Written by Tom Synott | July 9, 2024
Registered designs protect the shape and/or appearance of a product. They are an invaluable (and cheap) part of the IP toolkit whose importance we have written about a number of times (e.g. here)
In one of the most anticipated changes to design law in recent years, the EU has announced a new system for registered designs, the so-called ‘EU Design Regulation and Directive’ (the Directive). The Directive is due to be adopted by the EU Council imminently (with member states then having three years to transpose the directive into their national laws).
Key changes imposed by the Directive
We set out some of the key changes imposed by the Directive below:
Briffa comment
It should be noted that, following Brexit, these changes will not be implemented into UK law. However, the UK Intellectual Property Office is conducting its own parallel review into existing design legislation and it will be interesting to see how closely they choose to mirror the EU position (or indeed if they decide to adopt an alternative approach).
Here at Briffa, the team benefits from over 25 years’ experience in intellectual property and design rights in particular. If you need any further information in protecting your designs, please do feel free to get in touch with us via info@briffa.com.
Registered Design Applications: The Hague System vs. National Applications
If you’re looking for international protection for your design, you have two main options: You can file individual design applications with the intellectual property offices in each country you’re interested…
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