Designs

Defibrillator supplies - Photo courtesy of Philips Medical Systems

Design rights protect against deliberate copying of the shape or configuration of an object. There are two types of design right: registered and unregistered.

Registered design rights give total right of ownership to the appearance of a product or part of a product, whereas unregistered design right is not a total right and only prevents people copying the original shape or configuration of an object.

For example, the design of a new prosthetic elbow joint or inhaler device may be protected by a registered design.

The HSC Innovations team can provide advice on design registrations, search databases of design registrations, arrange for designs to be registered through patent attorneys and have funding to support the legal costs.

The UK Intellectual Property Office website offers guidance on designs, including a useful basic facts booklet.