Most brand owners and inventors are aware of how vital patents and trade marks are for the protection and long-term success of new products, but design rights, which protect the appearance of products, can be often overlooked. Flexible, cheap, simple and quick to obtain, design rights can be a powerful tool in the intellectual property armoury, particularly when bundled together with other IP rights. They can confer broad protection and protect products, or elements of products, that cannot be protected by other IP rights.

From cars and mobile phones to clothing designs and medical devices, design rights act as a deterrent and a disincentive to copycats, and in the event of an infringement action, can provide the means to remove from sale copycat products or even those that are inadvertently similar.

They are also beneficial if you are selling your business or looking for investment – buyers and investors like to see IP rights, especially registered rights, when conducting due diligence.