DESIGN LAW INSIGHTS
Developments in design protection, enforcement and commercial practice. Browse current analysis and earlier articles.
11 November 2026
On 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.
Read article11 November 2026
The 2026 EUIPO guidelines took effect on 1 July. They address representation practice, invalidity evidence and the shift to electronic proceedings.
Read article11 November 2026
EUIPO’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.
Read article11 November 2026
The second phase of the EU design reform has applied since 1 July 2026. Businesses should update their filing instructions, representation standards and deadline controls.
Read article15 February 2025
A similar product does not automatically infringe a design right. The assessment starts with the protected representations, the right’s validity and the overall impression on the informed user.
Read article15 February 2025
A design search helps assess the visual field before an application or product launch. It cannot prove that no earlier design exists or that a product is free to sell.
Read article15 January 2025
An EU design application should begin with a representation strategy and a disclosure review. Registration through EUIPO can cover all EU Member States, but does not itself establish substantive validity.
Read article3 April 2023
A German design is territorial. An EU design covers the European Union. A Hague international registration provides a central filing route for selected participating territories, not a worldwide monopoly.
Read article14 February 2022
A registered design can be challenged even after it has been entered in the register. An effective challenge requires a legal ground and evidence, not simply a belief that the product is commonplace.
Read article8 March 2021
The DPMA registers German designs following its examination of the application. The visual representations and the scope sought deserve attention before the form is submitted.
Read articleYOUR NEXT STEP
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