Registration of a desing gives the owner of the design the exclusive right to use that design as well as any similar design which gives the same overall impression to an informed user.
‘Use’ includes “making, offering, putting on the market, importing, exporting or using of a product in which the design is incorporated or to which it is applied or stocking such a product for those purposes.”
If anyone other than the owner does any of the above acts without permission this will constitute infringement.
Duration of a Registered Design
The maximum duration of protection offered for registered designs is 25 years, although a renewal fee (which increases with each successive renewal) must be paid every 5 years.
