Why should someone apply for design registration?

Design registration makes business sense when it improves the competitiveness of a business and brings in additional revenue in one or more of the following ways:

• By registering a design, you have a greater ability to prevent it from being copied and imitated by competitors and thereby strengthen your competitive position.

• The exclusivity provided by registration contributes to obtaining a fair return on investment in creating and marketing the relevant product, thereby improving your profits.

• Industrial designs are business assets that can increase the commercial value of a company and its products. The more successful a design, the higher its value to the company and its brands.

• A protected design may also be licensed (or sold) to others for a fee. By licensing it, you may be able to enter markets that you are otherwise unable to serve.

• Registration of industrial designs encourages fair competition and honest trade practices, promoting the production of a diverse range of aesthetically attractive products.