Design right and registration

How to register a design

If you want to register a design you have to apply to the Patent Office.

An application for design registration requires just a few illustrations showing different views of the design and some information about how the design might be applied.

The design’s creation must involve freedom of design – in other words it must be created by free thought and not simply by copying key elements from other designs.

You need to send the following to the Patent Office Design Registry:

• design form 2A – download design form DF2A from the Patent Office website (PDF)
• your illustrations – get detailed information on illustrations at the Patent Office website
• your fees – get detailed information on fees at the Patent Office website
• fee sheet – you must send in a fee sheet form for the UK, EU or international with your application and fee – get detailed information on fee sheets at the Patent Office website

Your application will be examined within two months of its receipt and, providing there are no objections, your registration will normally be granted within three to four months of application.

You can apply for registration any time up to 12 months from marketing your design but it can make good business sense to apply as early as possible.

Getting advice

Design registration can be a complex area – trade mark attorneys and patent agents are lawyers who specialise in this area. Find a patent agent on the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents website – or find a trade mark attorney on the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys website.