WIsH - Welsh Innovations in Healthcare
Registered Designs
In some new products, the novelty lies not in a new idea or principle but in their appearance. A registered design will give the proprietor a monopoly in the appearance of his design as applied to a particular article. Therefore giving the owner the right to stop others from making, using or selling the article without permission. Registered design rights usually cover commercial objects with a unique or aesthetic appearance.
A registered design is very much cheaper to obtain than a patent. Drawings or photographs showing the article to which the design is applied are submitted to the Designs Registry, and provided these drawings or photographs meet the requirements of the Registry the application will proceed directly to registration with few, if any, objections raised. Thus, in many cases, no costs are incurred subsequent to the initial filing. A registered design subsists initially for 5 years from application, and this term can be extended to a total of 25 years subject to the payment of renewal fees at 5 year intervals.
Stages in Prosecution of Design Applications |
|
1. |
File Registered Design Application |
2. Within 6 months |
File Foreign Design Applications |
Total time for Registration: 6 - 12 months