Intellectual Property Office gets new weapons to protect design

Intellectual Property Office gets new weapons to protect design

Legislation will give the office powers to consider whether a design is genuinely new before it is registered.

UK designs reform is on the way

The UK design system is set for reform, with some changes preserving distinct features of UK protection and others bringing UK law closer to EU practice.

Government confirms overhaul of UK designs system and rules out criminal sanctions for unregistered designs

The government has set out reforms to registered design protection, including a small claims route and a 30-month deferment period, with legislation to follow.

UKIPO targets anti-competitive design filings with tougher examination

The UK Intellectual Property Office plans greater scrutiny of potentially anti-competitive design applications as part of reforms to strengthen confidence in the register, says CEO Adam Williams.

Registered design disputes to get small claims court route for first time

The government today announced an overhaul of the UK’s designs system, including new powers for the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to check whether a design is genuinely new before it is registered and, for the first time, a small claims court route for registered design disputes. The package is the government’s formal response to an IPO-led consultation that closed in November 2025. According to the government, the UK has about 80,000 desig…