{"id":175886,"date":"2022-09-16T00:55:55","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T23:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?p=175886"},"modified":"2022-09-21T04:22:31","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T03:22:31","slug":"what-are-design-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are Design Rights and Why Do I Need Them in England?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Design rights will be a vital protection method if you are <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.com.au\/protect-your-designs-fashion-designer\/\">a business in England specialising in products<\/a>. Design rights can be both unregistered and registered in England. However, it is more beneficial to you and your business if you register them. In this article, we will discuss how you can acquire design rights and how they work to protect your business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are Design Rights?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Design rights are intellectual property rights that protect a product\u2019s visual appearance. This includes its:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>pattern;<\/li><li>shape;<\/li><li>packaging;<\/li><li>texture;<\/li><li>materials; and<\/li><li>colours.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the design must be new and not commonplace in the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In England, registering your design is not a legal requirement. Although, you can do this to gain more substantial control over your products and enhance their protection against competitors within your trade areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--info\">\n    <p>Registering your design will provide you with an exclusive right and, therefore, legal protection against competitors for 25 years. Furthermore, you can register in England with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/organisations\/intellectual-property-office\">Intellectual Property Office<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/european-union.europa.eu\/institutions-law-budget\/institutions-and-bodies\/institutions-and-bodies-profiles\/euipo_en\">European Intellectual Property Office<\/a> if you want to expand your rights into other jurisdictions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Protecting your Designs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.com.au\/how-can-i-protect-my-intellectual-property-overseas\/\">Registering your design rights<\/a> is mainly to protect them against competitors. Registration provides the designer with exclusive rights over production and distribution. Therefore, a competitor cannot reproduce your products innocently, as you will have legal recourse to challenge them. In addition, if your design is registered, you do not need to prove it is your own. Consequently, registering your design provides more robust protection against competitor businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Design rights go far beyond just products. For example, if your business has an app, you can register the design rights of the app itself. This can include the aesthetics of the app and the display. As more businesses are developing apps to showcase their products or services, design rights can play an important role if your app becomes a central focus of your business. Some examples of businesses where the design and look of apps play an essential role are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Uber;<\/li><li>McDonald&#8217;s;<\/li><li>Amazon; and<\/li><li>Nike.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"#content-next\"\n   class=\"block p-4 mt-10 text-xl font-bold text-center text-white no-underline bg-gray-800 rounded-t-xl\">\n    Continue reading this article below the form\n    <i class=\"text-xl fa-regular fa-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n<\/a>\n<div class=\"px-6 pt-10 pb-12 mb-10 text-center bg-gray-100 rounded-b-xl sm:px-12 test\">\n    <div class=\"mb-8 text-2xl font-bold text-orange\">\n        Need legal advice?\n        <br>\n        <span class=\"text-lg not-prose\">\n                            Call <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"not-prose\">0808 196 8584<\/a> for urgent assistance.\n                <br>\n                Otherwise, complete this form, and we will contact you within one business day.\n                    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n<div class=\"not-prose flex justify-center text-left gform_input_bg_white    \">\n    <script>\nvar gform;gform||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,themeScriptsLoaded:!1,isFormEditor:()=>\"function\"==typeof InitializeEditor,callIfLoaded:function(o){return!(!gform.domLoaded||!gform.scriptsLoaded||!gform.themeScriptsLoaded&&!gform.isFormEditor()||(gform.isFormEditor()&&console.warn(\"The use of gform.initializeOnLoaded() is deprecated in the form editor context and will be removed in Gravity Forms 3.1.\"),o(),0))},initializeOnLoaded:function(o){gform.callIfLoaded(o)||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.scriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",()=>{gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",()=>{gform.domLoaded=!0,gform.callIfLoaded(o)}))},hooks:{action:{},filter:{}},addAction:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"action\",o,r,e,t)},addFilter:function(o,r,e,t){gform.addHook(\"filter\",o,r,e,t)},doAction:function(o){gform.doHook(\"action\",o,arguments)},applyFilters:function(o){return gform.doHook(\"filter\",o,arguments)},removeAction:function(o,r){gform.removeHook(\"action\",o,r)},removeFilter:function(o,r,e){gform.removeHook(\"filter\",o,r,e)},addHook:function(o,r,e,t,n){null==gform.hooks[o][r]&&(gform.hooks[o][r]=[]);var d=gform.hooks[o][r];null==n&&(n=r+\"_\"+d.length),gform.hooks[o][r].push({tag:n,callable:e,priority:t=null==t?10:t})},doHook:function(r,o,e){var t;if(e=Array.prototype.slice.call(e,1),null!=gform.hooks[r][o]&&((o=gform.hooks[r][o]).sort(function(o,r){return o.priority-r.priority}),o.forEach(function(o){\"function\"!=typeof(t=o.callable)&&(t=window[t]),\"action\"==r?t.apply(null,e):e[0]=t.apply(null,e)})),\"filter\"==r)return e[0]},removeHook:function(o,r,t,n){var e;null!=gform.hooks[o][r]&&(e=(e=gform.hooks[o][r]).filter(function(o,r,e){return!!(null!=n&&n!=o.tag||null!=t&&t!=o.priority)}),gform.hooks[o][r]=e)}});\n<\/script>\n\n                <div class='gf_browser_gecko gform_wrapper gravity-theme gform-theme--no-framework lawyer-form_wrapper gplaceholder_wrapper form-with-labels-no-asterisks_wrapper has-new-validation-error-styling_wrapper' data-form-theme='gravity-theme' data-form-index='0' id='gform_wrapper_2453' style='display:none'><div id='gf_2453' class='gform_anchor' tabindex='-1'><\/div><form method='post' enctype='multipart\/form-data' target='gform_ajax_frame_2453' id='gform_2453' class='lawyer-form gplaceholder form-with-labels-no-asterisks has-new-validation-error-styling' action='\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175886#gf_2453' data-formid='2453' novalidate>\n                        <div class='gform-body gform_body'><div id='gform_fields_2453' class='gform_fields top_label form_sublabel_below description_below validation_below'><div id=\"field_2453_1000\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-honeypot gform_validation_container field_sublabel_below gfield--has-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_1000'>Name<\/label><div class='ginput_container'><input name='input_1000' id='input_2453_1000' type='text' value='' autocomplete='new-password'\/><\/div><div class='gfield_description' id='gfield_description_2453_1000'>This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.<\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_1\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-text gfield--input-type-text gf_left_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_1'>First Name<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_1' id='input_2453_1' type='text' value='' class='medium'     aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_12\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-text gfield--input-type-text gf_right_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_12'>Last Name<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_12' id='input_2453_12' type='text' value='' class='medium'     aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_2\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-email gfield--input-type-email gf_left_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_2'>Email Address<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_email'>\n                            <input name='input_2' id='input_2453_2' type='email' value='' class='medium'    aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"  \/>\n                        <\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_3\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-phone gfield--input-type-phone gf_right_half gfield--width-half gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_3'>Phone<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_phone'><input name='input_3' id='input_2453_3' type='tel' value='' class='medium'   aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_14\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-select gfield--input-type-select gfield--width-full custom-select gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_14'>Number of Employees in Your Business<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_select'><select name='input_14' id='input_2453_14' class='large gfield_select'    aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" ><option value='' selected='selected'>Select ...<\/option><option value='0' >0<\/option><option value='1' >1-5<\/option><option value='6' >6-20<\/option><option value='21' >21-50<\/option><option value='51' >51-250<\/option><option value='250' >250+<\/option><\/select><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_4\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-textarea gfield--input-type-textarea gfield_contains_required field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><label class='gfield_label gform-field-label' for='input_2453_4'>Tell us about your enquiry<span class=\"gfield_required\"><span class=\"gfield_required gfield_required_text\">(Required)<\/span><\/span><\/label><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_textarea'><textarea name='input_4' id='input_2453_4' class='textarea medium'     aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\"   rows='10' cols='50'><\/textarea><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_5\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-html gfield--input-type-html gfield_html gfield_html_formatted gfield_no_follows_desc field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  >By submitting this form, you agree to receive emails from LegalVision and can unsubscribe at any time. View our <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/privacy-notice\/\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. <\/div><div id=\"field_2453_8\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gfield--input-type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_8' id='input_2453_8' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='http:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175886' \/><\/div><\/div><div id=\"field_2453_13\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-hidden gfield--input-type-hidden gform_hidden field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_text'><input name='input_13' id='input_2453_13' type='hidden' class='gform_hidden'  aria-invalid=\"false\" value='generic_form' \/><\/div><\/div><fieldset id=\"field_2453_999\" class=\"gfield gfield--type-checkbox gfield--type-choice gfield__uk-marketo-opt-in field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible\"  ><legend class='gfield_label gform-field-label screen-reader-text' ><\/legend><div class='ginput_container ginput_container_checkbox'><div class='gfield_checkbox ' id='input_2453_999'><div class='gchoice gchoice_2453_999_1'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class='gfield-choice-input' name='input_999.1' type='checkbox'  value='1'  id='choice_2453_999_1'   \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<label for='choice_2453_999_1' id='label_2453_999_1' class='gform-field-label gform-field-label--type-inline'>By submitting this form, you agree to receive content and event invitations from us to help you grow your business. If you do not want to receive such messages, tick here.<\/label>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/fieldset><\/div><\/div>\n        <div class='gform-footer gform_footer top_label'> <button type=\"submit\" id=\"gform_submit_button_2453\" class=\"gform_button button\" onclick=\"gform.submission.handleButtonClick(this);\" data-submission-type=\"submit\"><span class=\"gform_submit_button__text\">Submit Now<\/span><\/button> <input type='hidden' name='gform_ajax' value='form_id=2453&amp;title=&amp;description=&amp;tabindex=0&amp;theme=gravity-theme&amp;hash=ec2463697d0d9cef7b71236ae60964c7' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submission_method' data-js='gform_submission_method_2453' value='iframe' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_theme' data-js='gform_theme_2453' id='gform_theme_2453' value='gravity-theme' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_style_settings' data-js='gform_style_settings_2453' id='gform_style_settings_2453' value='' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='is_submit_2453' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_submit' value='2453' \/>\n            \n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_currency' data-currency='GBP' value='pCLKMGzTGnjwzt1M6aTrxGcXHX5G4Vw4mVJ56ks56eAby\/I4IvenK8QWdUJiN3+k2+dIfGkR5sw2P4Ae38pW\/t9O0kurE1+YOT7aL6ZLi4JoDN0=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_unique_id' value='' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' class='gform_hidden' name='state_2453' value='WyJ7XCIxNFwiOltcIjIyODY0N2ViMWU3NTcxZjA4YTY4NGJmMDcwMTk3Y2I0XCIsXCJiMzk3YmQ1MDBmMmFjNjk1ODE4MzdmNTBhYTA2MzQ0OFwiLFwiNGYyNGZkZGEwMzlkNDUxMWFhZGE1NGYwZmQwZmNiZTdcIixcIjUyMmJkMDE2M2I2ZmEwOTI3NDZhZjU5YTg0ZmM1NDk5XCIsXCIzODRlNjk1YjQxMTAzMWFiYmQ2ODEyMGYyZWFhMDYyNlwiLFwiYjkzNDcwNTE2MjkxOGRjZWViMjQzNzRjNmE0NGVmNTlcIixcIjQxMTliODZhMzVjYzJiMWViNDZiMmQ4NjRlNGUzZmNjXCJdfSIsIjQ3MjNiMzA2ZDIyZGVkODA2N2YyMjYyOThkYzI1ODVmIl0=' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_target_page_number_2453' id='gform_target_page_number_2453' value='0' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' autocomplete='off' class='gform_hidden' name='gform_source_page_number_2453' id='gform_source_page_number_2453' value='1' \/>\n            <input type='hidden' name='gform_field_values' value='' \/>\n            \n        <\/div>\n                        <\/form>\n                        <\/div>\n\t\t                <iframe style='display:none;width:0px;height:0px;' src='about:blank' name='gform_ajax_frame_2453' id='gform_ajax_frame_2453' title='This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms.'><\/iframe>\n\t\t                <script>\ngform.initializeOnLoaded( function() {gformInitSpinner( 2453, 'https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/legalv-v6\/img\/spinner.svg', true );jQuery('#gform_ajax_frame_2453').on('load',function(){var contents = jQuery(this).contents().find('*').html();var is_postback = contents.indexOf('GF_AJAX_POSTBACK') >= 0;if(!is_postback){return;}var form_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_wrapper_2453');var is_confirmation = jQuery(this).contents().find('#gform_confirmation_wrapper_2453').length > 0;var is_redirect = contents.indexOf('gformRedirect(){') >= 0;var is_form = form_content.length > 0 && ! is_redirect && ! is_confirmation;var mt = parseInt(jQuery('html').css('margin-top'), 10) + parseInt(jQuery('body').css('margin-top'), 10) + 100;if(is_form){form_content.find('form').css('opacity', 0);jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').html(form_content.html());if(form_content.hasClass('gform_validation_error')){jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').addClass('gform_validation_error');} else {jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').removeClass('gform_validation_error');}setTimeout( function() { \/* delay the scroll by 50 milliseconds to fix a bug in chrome *\/ jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').offset().top - mt); }, 50 );if(window['gformInitDatepicker']) {gformInitDatepicker();}if(window['gformInitPriceFields']) {gformInitPriceFields();}var current_page = jQuery('#gform_source_page_number_2453').val();gformInitSpinner( 2453, 'https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/legalv-v6\/img\/spinner.svg', true );jQuery(document).trigger('gform_page_loaded', [2453, current_page]);window['gf_submitting_2453'] = false;}else if(!is_redirect){var confirmation_content = jQuery(this).contents().find('.GF_AJAX_POSTBACK').html();if(!confirmation_content){confirmation_content = contents;}jQuery('#gform_wrapper_2453').replaceWith(confirmation_content);jQuery(document).scrollTop(jQuery('#gf_2453').offset().top - mt);jQuery(document).trigger('gform_confirmation_loaded', [2453]);window['gf_submitting_2453'] = false;wp.a11y.speak(jQuery('#gform_confirmation_message_2453').text());}else{jQuery('#gform_2453').append(contents);if(window['gformRedirect']) {gformRedirect();}}jQuery(document).trigger(\"gform_pre_post_render\", [{ formId: \"2453\", currentPage: \"current_page\", abort: function() { this.preventDefault(); } }]);        if (event && event.defaultPrevented) {                return;        }        const gformWrapperDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_wrapper_2453\" );        if ( gformWrapperDiv ) {            const visibilitySpan = document.createElement( \"span\" );            visibilitySpan.id = \"gform_visibility_test_2453\";            gformWrapperDiv.insertAdjacentElement( \"afterend\", visibilitySpan );        }        const visibilityTestDiv = document.getElementById( \"gform_visibility_test_2453\" );        let postRenderFired = false;        function triggerPostRender() {            if ( postRenderFired ) {                return;            }            postRenderFired = true;            gform.core.triggerPostRenderEvents( 2453, current_page );            if ( visibilityTestDiv ) {                visibilityTestDiv.parentNode.removeChild( visibilityTestDiv );            }        }        function debounce( func, wait, immediate ) {            var timeout;            return function() {                var context = this, args = arguments;                var later = function() {                    timeout = null;                    if ( !immediate ) func.apply( context, args );                };                var callNow = immediate && !timeout;                clearTimeout( timeout );                timeout = setTimeout( later, wait );                if ( callNow ) func.apply( context, args );            };        }        const debouncedTriggerPostRender = debounce( function() {            triggerPostRender();        }, 200 );        if ( visibilityTestDiv && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent === null ) {            const observer = new MutationObserver( ( mutations ) => {                mutations.forEach( ( mutation ) => {                    if ( mutation.type === 'attributes' && visibilityTestDiv.offsetParent !== null ) {                        debouncedTriggerPostRender();                        observer.disconnect();                    }                });            });            observer.observe( document.body, {                attributes: true,                childList: false,                subtree: true,                attributeFilter: [ 'style', 'class' ],            });        } else {            triggerPostRender();        }    } );} );\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"content-next\"><!-- scroll anchor --><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Overlap With Copyright\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Copyright is a type of intellectual property that exists automatically upon creating a piece of creative work, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>images;&nbsp;<\/li><li>artwork;&nbsp;<\/li><li>photography; and&nbsp;<\/li><li>software coding.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Consequently, there is often some <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.com.au\/automatic-copyright-protection\/\">overlap between copyright and design rights<\/a> regarding what they can protect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--star\">\n    <p>For example, copyright could protect the software coding within an app. However, the overall layout and design of the app would be suitable to be registered as a design right. Therefore, it is essential to be aware that copyright in and of itself is not always sufficient protection. So, it would help if you considered your design rights to protect your products thoroughly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits of Design Rights&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you are the owner of a design, in either registered or unregistered forms, you can sell the registration or license your rights to third parties to generate income without losing complete ownership.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another benefit of design rights is expanding your business based on a particular work. If a design is successful, you can protect and grow your business without worrying about competitors copying your work. Therefore, design rights act as a safeguarding mechanism that protects your specific products and reputation. Consequently, they can also assist your business in building consumer trust and expanding your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In England, design rights can exist in both unregistered and registered formats. However, we highly recommend registering them so you can protect your designs for longer. For example, a registered design right can exist for up to 25 years, whereas an unregistered design right can only exist for 15 years. Further, if a competitor attempts to copy your product, you will have to prove your design is your own if it is unregistered.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need help or advice around registering your design, our experienced <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property-lawyers-lp\/\">intellectual property lawyers<\/a> can assist as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents. Call us today on <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"AVANSERnumber dynamic-number\">0808 196 8584<\/a> or visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/membership\/\">membership page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1663285444402\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is a &#8216;design right&#8217;?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">A design right is a type of intellectual property that protects a product&#8217;s visual appearance, including its texture, colour, shape, configuration and packaging. It must be an original design to gain rights protection.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1663285452790\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Do I have to register my design rights?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">You do not have to register your design rights. However, you should do so to ensure adequate protection over your products. Further, it will make challenging a copycat more straightforward as you will not need to prove your ownership of the design if you register it.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Design rights will be a vital protection method if you are a business in England specialising in products. Design rights can be both unregistered and registered in England. However, it is more beneficial to you and your business if you register them. In this article, we will discuss how you can acquire design rights and<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;What Are Design Rights and Why Do I Need Them in England?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13353,"featured_media":3189,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"174948,175883,174764,833,175122,4514","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[20,21,186,188,194],"class_list":["post-175886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-intellectual-property","tag-small-business","tag-medium-business","tag-intellectual-property","tag-copyright","tag-design-rights"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Are Design Rights and Do I Need Them? | LegalVision UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this article, we will discuss how you can acquire design rights and how they work to protect your business.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Are Design Rights and Do I Need Them? | LegalVision UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In this article, we will discuss how you can acquire design rights and how they work to protect your business.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"LegalVision UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LegalVision\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-09-15T23:55:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-09-21T03:22:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121935\/business-image-0522130.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1051\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"701\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Fiona Prior\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@LegalVision_law\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@LegalVision_law\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Fiona Prior\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Fiona Prior\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/6b01dab4461b6cc0d93030ab7605f773\"},\"headline\":\"What Are Design Rights and Why Do I Need Them in England?\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-15T23:55:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-09-21T03:22:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/\"},\"wordCount\":678,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121935\/business-image-0522130.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"small business\",\"medium business\",\"intellectual property\",\"copyright\",\"design rights\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Intellectual Property Articles\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/\",\"name\":\"What Are Design Rights and Do I Need Them? | LegalVision UK\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121935\/business-image-0522130.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-15T23:55:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-09-21T03:22:31+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/6b01dab4461b6cc0d93030ab7605f773\"},\"description\":\"In this article, we will discuss how you can acquire design rights and how they work to protect your business.\u00a0\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#breadcrumb\"},\"mainEntity\":[{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#faq-question-1663285444402\"},{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#faq-question-1663285452790\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121935\/business-image-0522130.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121935\/business-image-0522130.jpg\",\"width\":1051,\"height\":701,\"caption\":\"Can I Send Consumers Promotional Offers? | LegalVision UK\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Intellectual Property Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/category\/intellectual-property\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"What Are Design Rights and Why Do I Need Them in England?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/\",\"name\":\"LegalVision UK\",\"description\":\"LegalVision is a commercial law firm in the UK with a commitment to innovation\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/6b01dab4461b6cc0d93030ab7605f773\",\"name\":\"Fiona Prior\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/06\/cropped-cropped-cropped-LV-round-square-2-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/06\/cropped-cropped-cropped-LV-round-square-2-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"Fiona Prior\"},\"description\":\"Fiona is a Legal Content Writer for LegalVision UK. She is a qualified barrister and lawyer with an interest in immigration and human rights. Fiona has written extensively for LegalVision on Intellectual Property. Qualifications: Bar Professional Training Course, The Manchester Metropolitan University, Masters Degree, LLM in Human Rights and Criminal Justice, Queen's University, Belfast, Bachelor's Degree, LLB Law, Queen Mary University of London\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/fiona-prior-30481162\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/author\/fionaprior\/\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#faq-question-1663285444402\",\"name\":\"What is a 'design right'?\u00a0\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A design right is a type of intellectual property that protects a product's visual appearance, including its texture, colour, shape, configuration and packaging. It must be an original design to gain rights protection.\u00a0\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#faq-question-1663285452790\",\"name\":\"Do I have to register my design rights?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"You do not have to register your design rights. However, you should do so to ensure adequate protection over your products. Further, it will make challenging a copycat more straightforward as you will not need to prove your ownership of the design if you register it.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Are Design Rights and Do I Need Them? | LegalVision UK","description":"In this article, we will discuss how you can acquire design rights and how they work to protect your business.\u00a0","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Are Design Rights and Do I Need Them? | LegalVision UK","og_description":"In this article, we will discuss how you can acquire design rights and how they work to protect your business.\u00a0","og_url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/","og_site_name":"LegalVision UK","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LegalVision","article_published_time":"2022-09-15T23:55:55+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-09-21T03:22:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1051,"height":701,"url":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121935\/business-image-0522130.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Fiona Prior","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@LegalVision_law","twitter_site":"@LegalVision_law","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Fiona Prior","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/"},"author":{"name":"Fiona Prior","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/6b01dab4461b6cc0d93030ab7605f773"},"headline":"What Are Design Rights and Why Do I Need Them in England?","datePublished":"2022-09-15T23:55:55+00:00","dateModified":"2022-09-21T03:22:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/"},"wordCount":678,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121935\/business-image-0522130.jpg","keywords":["small business","medium business","intellectual property","copyright","design rights"],"articleSection":["Intellectual Property Articles"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/","name":"What Are Design Rights and Do I Need Them? | LegalVision UK","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121935\/business-image-0522130.jpg","datePublished":"2022-09-15T23:55:55+00:00","dateModified":"2022-09-21T03:22:31+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/6b01dab4461b6cc0d93030ab7605f773"},"description":"In this article, we will discuss how you can acquire design rights and how they work to protect your business.\u00a0","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#breadcrumb"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#faq-question-1663285444402"},{"@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#faq-question-1663285452790"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121935\/business-image-0522130.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/05\/24121935\/business-image-0522130.jpg","width":1051,"height":701,"caption":"Can I Send Consumers Promotional Offers? | LegalVision UK"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Intellectual Property Articles","item":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/category\/intellectual-property\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What Are Design Rights and Why Do I Need Them in England?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/","name":"LegalVision UK","description":"LegalVision is a commercial law firm in the UK with a commitment to innovation","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/6b01dab4461b6cc0d93030ab7605f773","name":"Fiona Prior","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/06\/cropped-cropped-cropped-LV-round-square-2-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/06\/cropped-cropped-cropped-LV-round-square-2-96x96.png","caption":"Fiona Prior"},"description":"Fiona is a Legal Content Writer for LegalVision UK. She is a qualified barrister and lawyer with an interest in immigration and human rights. Fiona has written extensively for LegalVision on Intellectual Property. Qualifications: Bar Professional Training Course, The Manchester Metropolitan University, Masters Degree, LLM in Human Rights and Criminal Justice, Queen's University, Belfast, Bachelor's Degree, LLB Law, Queen Mary University of London","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/fiona-prior-30481162\/"],"url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/author\/fionaprior\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#faq-question-1663285444402","name":"What is a 'design right'?\u00a0","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"A design right is a type of intellectual property that protects a product's visual appearance, including its texture, colour, shape, configuration and packaging. It must be an original design to gain rights protection.\u00a0","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/intellectual-property\/what-are-design-rights\/#faq-question-1663285452790","name":"Do I have to register my design rights?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"You do not have to register your design rights. However, you should do so to ensure adequate protection over your products. Further, it will make challenging a copycat more straightforward as you will not need to prove your ownership of the design if you register it.","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/13353"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175886"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":175961,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175886\/revisions\/175961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/3189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}