GERMAN · EUROPEAN · INTERNATIONAL DESIGN LAW
Protect the design.
Preserve the advantage.
From the first sketch to a successful product — and when a competitor gets too close. Our attorneys at law and patent attorneys advise on design registration, product launches, licensing and disputes in Germany and the European Union. We coordinate protection abroad with local advisers where required.
Design law, built around your business
A distinctive appearance can be one of a product’s most valuable assets. Effective protection starts with the right representations, a clear chain of ownership and a filing plan that matches the markets you need. It continues with renewal decisions, commercial agreements and a measured response to copying. We bring the legal and technical questions together so that you can make informed decisions before launch and during a dispute.
What do you need to do?
Choose one of 16 practical starting points. Each guide explains the issues to assess, typical situations and the next information we need.
German design registration
Protect the appearance of a product in Germany before it reaches the market. We assess the proposed filing, prepare the representations and handle the application before the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA).
EU design registration
A registered European Union design offers a single registration route for the EU market. We help businesses choose the right subject matter, representation and filing sequence, and represent applicants before the EUIPO.
International design applications
International design protection requires a deliberate choice of territories and filing routes. We coordinate national applications and Hague System filings around your sales markets, production locations and launch timetable.
Design searches & prior art
A useful design search answers a defined commercial question. We investigate earlier designs and product disclosures to support filing decisions, assess validity or prepare a response to a competing right.
Design freedom to operate
Before ordering tooling or launching a product, assess whether its appearance may conflict with third-party rights. Our design freedom-to-operate work turns a search into a reasoned assessment of identified risks.
Design invalidity & cancellation
A registered design can be challenged. We assess invalidity grounds, prepare evidence and represent clients in proceedings concerning German and EU designs, including the interaction with infringement disputes.
Respond to a design warning letter
A design warning letter may demand an immediate stop to sales, information, damages and a binding undertaking. We review the asserted right and the demands before you make commitments that could affect your business for years.
Design infringement & enforcement
When a competitor copies the appearance of your product, the first task is to identify which rights can be enforced and against whom. We advise on evidence, warnings, court proceedings and commercially workable remedies.
Unregistered design protection
Some design rights arise without registration. They can matter for short-lived products, but their existence, duration, territorial reach and evidential requirements must be assessed carefully.
Digital designs, GUIs & animation
The appearance of a digital product can be a valuable business asset. We advise on graphical user interfaces, icons, animation, transitions and the relationship between design protection and software-related rights.
Product launches, priority & confidentiality
The strongest filing strategy starts before the product is shown publicly. We align design applications with exhibitions, crowdfunding, supplier sampling and commercial launches.
Urgent injunctions & trade fair disputes
A disputed product launch or trade fair can require rapid action. We assess whether urgent court relief is available and help defendants respond to imminent or existing injunctions.
Online copies, marketplaces & customs
Online infringement often involves changing listings, multiple sellers and cross-border supply chains. We help connect platform action with evidence collection and a broader enforcement strategy.
Design licences, ownership & contracts
A valuable design portfolio needs a clear chain of title and workable commercial agreements. We draft and review arrangements between designers, employers, manufacturers, distributors and licensees.
Design portfolios, renewals & transactions
Design rights should follow the products and markets that create value. We help businesses organise registrations, monitor deadlines and assess portfolios in acquisitions, investment rounds and commercial restructurings.
Spare parts, repair & technical features
Design protection for components requires a careful distinction between appearance, technical function and repair. We advise manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers on filing and infringement risks.
Europe is not a single filing territory
An EU design covers the European Union. The UK, Switzerland, Norway and other non-EU markets require a separate coverage assessment. Benelux has a common regional system. Our country guides distinguish these routes and explain when local advice is needed.
A clear process, from enquiry to action
01 · Understand the product and the deadline
Tell us what is being launched, copied, licensed or acquired. We identify the relevant images, documents, markets and dates.
02 · Choose the scope of work
We explain the proposed filing, assessment or dispute strategy and confirm professional fees, official charges and any foreign-agent work.
03 · Put the strategy into practice
We prepare the agreed steps, handle the relevant correspondence and help you manage the next decisions as the matter develops.
Attorneys who understand the product
Design matters often combine legal questions with the technical and commercial reality of the product. Our attorneys at law and patent attorneys work across registration, enforcement and transactions. Our team includes certified specialists in intellectual property law and in copyright and media law.
Fees and initial enquiries
Published starting prices: German design application €245; EU design application €285; international application €450; registered-design search €319; German invalidity proceedings €1,600; design consultation or warning-letter review €89. Freedom-to-operate work is quoted individually. These starting prices include VAT; filing prices exclude official fees and expense allowances. Fixed fees cover out-of-court work only. We confirm the precise scope and total quotation before accepting instructions.
Legal and technical experience
Michael Horak, Dipl.-Ing., LL.M.
Attorney at law · Certified Specialist in Intellectual Property Law and in Copyright and Media Law
Julia Ziegeler
Attorney at law · Certified Specialist in Intellectual Property Law and in Copyright and Media Law
Anna Umberg, LL.M., M.A.
Attorney at law · Certified Specialist in Intellectual Property Law
Dipl.-Phys. Andree Eckhard
Patent Attorney · European Trade Mark and Design Attorney
Katharina Gitmann-Kopilevich
Attorney at law
Karoline Behrend
Attorney at law
Andreas Friedlein
Attorney at law
Stefan Karfusehr
Attorney at law
Robin Jannis Mai, LL.B.
Attorney at law
Dr. Marie Wagner
Patent Attorney
Dr. Wagner combines a background in chemistry with experience in industrial property protection. She studied chemistry at the University of Tübingen and completed doctoral research into the electronic structure of acenes at interfaces.
Following patent attorney training in Reutlingen and Munich, she joined horak in 2026. Her work concerns patents, utility models and designs, together with related contractual questions. She works in German and English.
Explore the questions behind a design strategy
Representations, partial designs and publication · Copyright, trade marks and overlapping rights · Employee and commissioned designs · Proceedings, appeals and settlement
These detailed guides explain the decisions that often determine whether a filing, contract or dispute strategy works in practice.
Latest design law insights
- Riyadh Design Law Treaty: Albania’s first ratification in 2026On 13 March 2026, WIPO announced Albania as the first state to join the Riyadh Design Law Treaty. The development concerns procedural harmonisation, not a new worldwide design right.
- EUIPO’s 2026 design guidelines: evidence and electronic procedureThe 2026 EUIPO guidelines took effect on 1 July. They address representation practice, invalidity evidence and the shift to electronic proceedings.
- Video and 3D design filings: early EUIPO experience in 2026EUIPO's first three months of experience with new digital formats show early use of video and 3D representations. The practical question is which format most clearly defines the design.
- EU design reform 2026: what changes in the filing workflowThe second phase of the EU design reform has applied since 1 July 2026. Businesses should update their filing instructions, representation standards and deadline controls.
Tell us about your design
Preparing a launch, dealing with a warning letter or choosing overseas markets? Use our general enquiry form. Every field is optional; leave contact details if you would like a reply.