Registration of industrial designs in the UK – Every company that owns an industrial design and intends to expand its business in the UK market should use the UK intellectual property system. It is paramount for businesses to file an industrial design application in the UK for industrial designs, even if the launch of the respective product on the market in the UK has not yet commenced.
Requirements for Industrial Design Registration Application in the UK
An industrial design application in the UK requesting the right of priority must be filed within 6 months from the priority date.
The official languages of the proceedings before the patent office are English and Welsh.
The following information and documents need to be provided in the application for registration of an industrial design in the UK:
- name, address, and nationality of the applicant, business address;
- request for design registration;
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short description of the product’s title;
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representation of a design
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Proof that the necessary fee has been paid.
The submission of a Power of Attorney is not currently required when submitting a design application according to UK law.
It is not necessary to provide the Priority Document when registering an industrial design in the UK.
Examination of an Industrial Design Application in the UK
In the UK, a design application must pass formal and substantial examinations. There must be no particular examination request or fee.
Validity period and renewal of industrial designs in the UK
In the UK, the novelty grace period is 12 months previous to the filing date or priority date. It does not invalidate the novelty of the design in the United Kingdom if the application was made public as a result of a disclosure made in bad faith by a third party, by the designer, his successor in title, or a third party as a result of information provided or action taken by the designer or his successor in title within the aforementioned time frame.
There is no official grant fee that must be paid. The UK’s industrial design patent has a five-year term of validity beginning on the filing date. The term may be extended four more times, for a total of 25 years. To prevent late payment fines, a renewal application must be submitted six months before and one month after the registration’s expiration date. Within a grace period of six months, late payments are allowed with a corresponding surcharge.
Normally, the granting period lasts no longer than a year from the filing date.
Represented by an industrial design registration attorney
An international applicant for an industrial design registration in the UK should perform an industrial design search in the UK through a law firm, or an industrial design attorney.
