Protect your registered designs

Protecting your design is important for making sure that you gain the most out of your intellectual property assets. One way of protecting your design is through registration.

Registering your design protects your product's overall appearance and gives you the exclusive right to use it for up to 25 years.

Once you register your design, you can renew, update or cancel your registration with the Intellectual Property Office. You can also license, mortgage, sell or transfer your design right, as well as defend it from infringement.

This guide shows you how to renew your registered designs, assign your design rights and license your designs. It also explains how to deal with design infringement and avoid infringing other people's designs. Finally, it describes how you can protect and enforce your design rights in the UK and abroad.