The appearance of a product defined by different types of features like the shape, the patterns, the lines and the colour can benefit from the protection that comes with the design registration.
In order for it to be registered, a design has to be new and original.
The originality is analyzed from the consumer’s point of view. If the overall impression that the design produces to an imaginary user is different from that produced by the already registered designs then the new design is having an individual character.
A design is considered new if no identical design has been made public before the date of the filing application. This can pose challenges for the applicant as the fast paced business environment is continuously changing and new designs are registered every day.
In order to keep up with the development of the businesses and meet today’s designers expectations, the Intellectual Property Office of the United Kingdom has improved significantly the Designs Journal that will be available from the 5th of September 2016.
The most important added feature refers to the short amount of time for the designs to be displayed.
Therefore, from the 5th September 2016, the new version of the designs Journal will display designs in maximum 24 hours from their registration.
A fast and new styled design search will help business owners in making accurate decisions regarding their intellectual property in a timely manner.