DESIGNS

The industrial design is the standard instrument to protect the appeareance of a product. The legal definition of the industrial design: “the appearance of the whole or a part of a product resulting from the features of, in particular, the lines, contours, colours, shape, texture and/or materials of the product itself and/or its ornamentation“.

Unlike a common conception the law defines a product not only as industrial or handicraft objects, including the parts thereof, but also packages, get-up, graphic symbol and typographic typefaces. Novelty and individual character are required for an industrial design to be registered. The design owner has exclusive rights to use the design in trade and to forbid the use to other parties.

There are two forms of protection for industrial designs in the European Union: a) a short-term unregistered design b) registered design. The design registration can be valid for 25 years. Industrial designs can be protected also as a work of authorship as provided by the copyright law.

The other option is to seek protection in chosen states of “Haague Agreement” via an international design application. The cost of filing this design application depends i.a. on the chosen states. For more information please contact us.

We also provide for licence, pledge, renewal, assignment and other official recordals. We also represent clients in dispute proceedings held before Administrative Authorities and Courts (cancellation actions, infringement upon rights to design etc.).

Please note that the above costs are not fixed. We normally offer quantity discount and other bonuses as a result of long-term cooperation. So, do not hesitate and contact us in order to come to mutual agreement on the best protection and cost policy.