Obtaining a design registration can be time-consuming and complex. We can help you to file and prosecute your registered design application at the regional and national offices that oversee the countries you want protection in.  We’ll do it quickly and efficiently, so you have complete peace of mind.

At GJE, we have many years of experience filing and prosecuting registered design applications at both the EUIPO, the regional office handling registered designs in the European Union; and the UKIPO, the office which handles registered designs in the UK.

Further afield, we have built up an extensive network of local attorneys in other countries who work with us on behalf of our clients.  They file registered designs in their respective jurisdictions, including US design patents, and also provide us local insight and advice to help give our clients the edge.

In both the UK and Europe, only one embodiment of a product may be protected for each design filed.  This is different to the way designs are protected in some other countries, particularly where multiple embodiments may be protected within a single design, such as to demonstrate variations of the design.

The UK and EU systems, however, provide for the filing of a “multiple” design application. In each case an unlimited number of designs can be filed within a one application.  This is effectively a bundle of single designs originating from the same owner or owners.  By filing them together, you can keep the official fee cost to a minimum.  In fact, the UK official fees structure is particularly good value, with some of the lowest rates in the world.

Once a registered design application has been filed, the EUIPO or the UKIPO will examine it to ensure it fulfils the criteria for design registration to be granted.  Unlike other countries, the UK and EU registered design systems do not include a substantive examination of the designs.  The examination procedures just assesses whether key design register formalities have been met.  If a respective office believes there is an issue with the design application, they will set out their objections and delay registration of the design.

We understand this complex area of law in great depth.  Each year our attorneys help numerous businesses file robust applications that reduce the risk of objection and ensure designs get on to the design register as quickly as possible.

If objections are raised, you can rest safe in the knowledge that we have the expertise and experience to resolve them swiftly.  As such, we can help you file and register your designs very quickly – normally without running into any problems for UK and EU registration offices.