Designers pour their creativity, time, and resources into crafting unique products. Protecting these designs is essential to prevent copying and to maintain your competitive edge. This guide will walk you through how to safeguard your work in the UK, including registering your design rights and other practical steps to protect your intellectual property (IP).

Step 1: Understand the Types of Design Rights

In the UK, there are three types of design right:

What Are Unregistered Design Rights?

These arise automatically when you create an original design which isn’t commonplace in the relevant design field. UK unregistered design right protects the shape and configuration of a product for up to 15 years (or 10 years if the product is sold commercially), but it doesn’t cover surface decoration such as patterns, colours, textures, or materials.

What Is Supplementary Unregistered Design Right?

This protects any visible aspect of a design, provided it is new and has individual character. It offers broader coverage than standard unregistered design right and is especially useful for surface features like pattern and colour.

What Are Registered Design Rights?

Registered design rights offer the strongest level of protection. They apply to the overall appearance of a product — including shape, configuration, pattern, texture, material and colour. Registered rights give you exclusive protection for up to 25 years, with renewals every five years. Unlike unregistered rights, you don’t need to prove copying to take enforcement action.

Unregistered design rights can be harder to enforce because you’ll need to prove both when the design was created and that it was copied.

💡 Tip: Registration makes it easier to enforce your rights in case of infringement.

How ACID can help:
Anti Copying in Design (ACID) offers expert guidance on both unregistered and registered design rights — helping you understand what applies to your work and how to maximise your protection.

Step 2: Prepare Your Design for Registration

To register your design, you need to ensure it meets these criteria:

• Novelty: The design must be new and have individual character.
• Disclosure: It must not have been disclosed to the public more than 12 months before the application date.

Prepare high-quality representations of your design, such as sketches, photographs or CAD files, showing all angles and details.  Choose whichever form of representation is most suitable for what you are trying to protect. 

💡 Tip: Ensure your documentation is dated and securely stored for future reference.

How ACID can help: Use the ACID IP Databank to securely upload and date-stamp your designs. This provides evidence of when your work was created and can support enforcement actions.

Step 3: Register Your Design

Registering your design in the UK is straightforward:

1. Visit the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) website.
2. Complete the online application form, providing details of your design and the creator.
3. Submit representations of your design.
4. Pay the registration fee (starting at £50 for one design).

After submitting your application, the UKIPO will examine your design to ensure it meets the criteria. Once approved, your design will be protected for up to 25 years.

💡 Tip: Consider registering your design in key international markets if you plan to sell abroad.

How ACID can help: ACID members have access to expert advice on navigating the registration process, ensuring their applications are robust and comprehensive.

Step 4: Display Your Rights

Once registered, make it clear that your design is protected. Include the registration number on your product, packaging, or promotional materials. This acts as a deterrent to potential copycats.

💡 Tip: Use visible deterrents to show you take IP protection seriously.

How ACID can help: ACID members can display the ACID logo, which is widely recognised and warns others that you are part of a proactive IP protection organisation.

Step 5: Monitor and Enforce Your Rights

Regularly monitor the market for potential infringements. This includes:

• Checking competitors’ products.
• Monitoring online platforms like marketplaces and social media.
• Acting quickly if you spot a copy of your design.

If you identify an infringement, take action by gathering evidence and seeking legal advice.

💡 Tip: Early action can prevent further damage to your brand and reputation.

How ACID can help: ACID provides access to expert legal affiliates who can advise on enforcing your rights. The ACID IP Databank also supports your case by proving ownership and creation dates.

Additional Tips for Protecting Your Designs

Use Confidentiality Agreements When Sharing Your Work

Protect your ideas by using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) whenever you share designs with manufacturers, collaborators, or clients.

Keep Detailed Records Throughout the Design Process

Maintain a clear paper trail — including sketches, drafts, correspondence, and timestamps — to help prove originality if needed.

Train Your Team on IP Awareness

Make sure everyone in your business understands how IP works and the role they play in protecting it.

How ACID can help:
ACID membership includes ready-to-use NDA templates and ongoing education through webinars, resources, and expert guidance.

Key Takeaways

Protecting your designs in the UK is a proactive process. Registering your designs offers the strongest protection, while unregistered rights provide some coverage. By working with organisations like ACID, you can access invaluable tools, resources and support to safeguard your creativity.

Ready to protect your designs? Join ACID today to benefit from expert IP advice, access to the ACID IP Databank and a community of like-minded designers dedicated to fighting design theft.