Design
'Design' is a broad term capturing look, shape, surface patterns, graphic works and functional aspects of a product, which are in turn protected though one or more forms of IP: design rights, copyright, trade marks and patents.
Specific design rights that exist in the UK & EU are 'registered designs' which cover lines, contours, colours, materials, texture and shape, and 'unregistered design rights' which only cover three dimensional articles, but not surface decoration or patterns.
Working closely with product development teams, R&D departments and designers in diverse fields from fashion to aerospace we advise on design protection strategy, obtaining and exploiting the requisite rights as well as protecting those rights both nationally and internationally.
Related items
EPO and EUIPO extend deadlines in response to COVID-19 pandemic
26 March 2020As you will have seen, governments across Europe have issued a range of recommendations to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The various IP offices have recognised this will have an impact on the ability of rightsholders/ applicants/ opponents to meet their deadlines, and so each of the UKIPO, the IP Office of Ireland, the EUIPO and the EPO have announced that deadlines will be extended: