The new landscape

Previously, design law placed unnecessary restrictions on what could be protected. Registration systems made protection of multiple designs expensive, especially internationally. But now, the EU's Community Design system has delighted users with its speed, its cost-effectiveness and its broader definition of what can be covered. An enforceable design registration can be obtained much sooner than other registered rights, and for less cost.

In parallel, design law has evolved beyond protecting the industrial design of technical products. Today's definition of protectable designs includes graphical works such as logos that were previously the preserve of trade mark law. This makes design registration an essential tool of the trade mark practitioner.