Registered design, registered designs, design law

Aesthetic creations, in particular designs of articles of everyday use, can be protected with a registered design. This can either be achieved with a German registered design or with a registered design valid throughout the EU, the term being 20 to 25 years. In order to maintain the protection over the entire term, an extension fee must be paid every five years.

The registered design is not examined on registration. In an action before a regional court for infringement of the registered design, the alleged infringer can, however, appeal on the basis that the registered design was not new on the filing date and constitutes no particular design effort (is not unique). The alleged infringer must provide evidence that identical or similar designs already existed before the filing date.

You can find further information in our leaflet on registered designs.

Our office has many years of experience in all questions of registered design law. We have filed and brought to registration a large number of registered designs and have extensive experience in registered design cancellation proceedings. We have also been involved in a large number of disputes relating to registered design infringements. We shall be pleased to advise you in our offices in Bremen, Hanover and Oldenburg or also in your company. Alternatively we can of course also advise you by telephone or e-mail.

If you wish to know how many registered designs we have administered in the databases of the German Patent and Trademark Office as representative, click here and enter the following under expert search: VTR = Jabbusch.