Design Rights

A registered design helps protect the appearance of a product such as its shape or pattern. Registering a design may help our clients prove that it is their design, that it is the legal owner and when the design was created.

In order to be protected the design must be new. It can include physical shape, configuration, decoration or colour and pattern. The functionality is not protected - e.g. a bicycle that folds up more quickly than other foldable bicycles would not be protected. As design right protection is limited to exclude features solely dictated by function, we can help to assess functional features and advise.

Our clients in the fashion, retail, sport, automotive and engineering industries recognise that maintaining exclusivity over their designs is essential. Our team are experienced designs lawyers and have assisted clients on third party challenges to their own designs and successfully invalidating the designs of others. We can also assist in bringing any enforcement actions against design infringement.

We assist with design protection strategy including searching, filing, registration and maintenance/renewal in New Zealand and Australia and internationally. We also co-ordinate the filing and renewal of custom notices for design rights.