Overview
A design registration helps protect the appearance of a product, such as its shape or pattern.
Registering your design makes it easier to prove:
- that the design is legally yours
- when you created it
This will help if anyone tries to copy or use your design without your permission.
A design registration lasts 5 years. You must renew your design registration every 5 years to keep it protected – up to a maximum of 25 years.
What you can register
Your design must be new.
The design of something can include one or more of the following:
physical shape
configuration (or how different parts of a design are arranged together)
decoration or colour
pattern
What you cannot register
You cannot register:
offensive material, for example swear words or pornographic images
designs making use of national flags you do not have permission to use
designs making use of official emblems or hallmarks, for example the Olympic rings or coats of arms
the functionality of a design, for example a chair that folds down more quickly than others of the same kind
