A registered design protects the appearance of a product or article but not how the article or product works.

The new and distinctive shape, configuration, pattern or ornamentation applied to an article or product may be protected by a Design Registration.

A Design Registration provides the legal right to use, license or sell articles or products having the appearance of the new design that is registered, and to exclude unauthorised persons from exploiting the design.

IP SENTINELS can assist you with:

• Searching to see if your design is already registered by someone else or providing an opinion on whether an application to register the design is likely to be allowed by the designs office Australian Designs Office (IP Australia) or New Zealand Designs Office (IPONZ)
• Filing an application to register a design with the Australian Designs Office, the New Zealand Designs Office, and in Designs Offices around the world, including filing applications under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
• Examination of a design registration which includes advising on responses to Office Actions by Designs Examiners (also called examination reports) and filing the response in the best way to overcome any objection raised by the examiner
• Running an opposition to a design registration or defending an opposition filed by someone else against the registration of your design
• Providing infringement or freedom to operate advice.  This may be to a design registration holder wishing to enforce the design registration rights against an infringer or it may be to a business wishing to avoid infringing the rights of a design registration owner
• Attending to annuities (payment of renewal fees) along with monitoring of annuity dates