Have you developed a new industrial design and now wish to obtain design protection?
Whether your design is elaborate or the epitome of simplicity, we work together with you to find the best design protection.
In addition to selecting suitable design protection, we use our expertise to help you select the best images for registration or publication. Not only does this allow you to minimize the costs of registration; the images also determine the enforceable scope of protection, meaning that an astute selection of images could improve protection. Smaller measures often result in significant improvements. We are happy to provide advice on how to establish broad design protection.
Design protection can be established, for example, via a Community Design Patent (also known as an “EU-Design”) throughout the European Union. National applications in Germany or third countries or international design patent applications in accordance with the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designsare also possible.
Novelty and distinctiveness are essential requirements for design protection. In simple terms, this means that your overall design needs to stand out from existing designs (known shapes ).
In principle, your own previous concepts and publications of the design to be protected needs to be taken into account. However, there is a grace period for novelty permitting legally valid design protection within a year of prior publication even as you apply for industrial design protection.
We would be happy to assess the novelty and distinctiveness of your design based on known shapes before you file an application for design protection.