Protect the way your product looks, its shape, pattern, and visual identity, with a registered design. Under India’s Designs Act, 2000, plus US design patents and EU and UK registered designs. Novelty search, drawings, filing, and prosecution by IP professionals.
Share images of the product or design and the markets you care about. An IP professional from our team will check whether it is registrable, recommend the right route (India, US, EU, UK, or international), and respond with a clear strategy and quote.
One thing to act on early: in most countries a design must be new and undisclosed when you file. Publishing or selling the product before filing can cost you the right to register it. If you are close to launch, talk to us first.
The shape of a bottle, the form of a gadget, the pattern on a fabric, the layout of an app screen, these are often what make a product recognisable and valuable. A design registration protects that appearance, giving you the exclusive right to the visual design and the ability to stop competitors from copying the look of what you make.
Design protection covers how a product looks, its shape, configuration, pattern, ornament, and visual features, as opposed to how it works, which is the territory of a patent. The two are complementary: many products are worth protecting on both fronts at once.
My Legal Pal handles design registration in India under the Designs Act, 2000, and abroad, US design patents, EU and UK registered designs, and international filing through the Hague System. We run the novelty check, prepare the representations, file with the right classification, and see the application through to registration.
A design registration protects the features of shape, configuration, pattern, ornament, or composition of lines or colours applied to an article, the visual appeal, not the function. To be registrable, a design must be new and original, and not previously disclosed to the public anywhere.
The three-dimensional form of a product, a bottle silhouette, a chair, a device housing, a tool. The shape that makes it recognisable.
Two-dimensional patterns, prints, and textures applied to an article, textile prints, decorative surfaces, packaging graphics.
Screen layouts, icons, and on-screen visual elements. India’s framework recognises designs for digital interfaces, and the US and EU protect GUIs through design patents and registered designs respectively.
The distinctive shape of a container or pack, often a brand’s most recognisable visual asset.
What cannot be registered: anything dictated purely by function (that is the realm of patents), designs that are not new or original, designs already disclosed to the public, and marks or features that are really trademarks rather than designs.
Select the closest match. We will tell you what it involves, the indicative cost, and the timeline.
From novelty check to registration, typically 6 to 12 months.
We confirm the design is new and original and has not already been disclosed, the threshold question for registrability.
We identify the correct Locarno class for the article; each application covers a single class.
We prepare the views, clear drawings or photographs from the required angles, that define exactly what is protected.
Filed at the CGPDTM with the correct applicant category and fee. Unlike trademarks, designs are not advertised for opposition.
The Registry examines the application; we respond to any objections raised in the examination report.
On acceptance, the design is registered, protected 10 years, extendable by 5. We track the renewal deadline.
Design registration is one of the most affordable IP rights. Cost has two parts: the government fee (by applicant category) and our professional fee for the novelty check, representations, filing, and prosecution. Figures below are the official fees current to early 2026; we quote our professional fee on the specific matter.
| Applicant category | Govt. filing fee (Form-1) |
|---|---|
| Natural person (individual) | Rs 1,000 |
| Small entity / Startup | Rs 2,000 |
| Others (large entity) | Rs 4,000 |
Per design, per Locarno class. To claim the small-entity or startup rate, supporting proof (Form-24) is required, otherwise the higher fee applies. Renewal before the 10-year expiry extends protection by 5 years (Form-3, Rs 2,000). Foreign applicants who qualify can claim the reduced natural-person or small-entity rate with the required declaration.
The US (design patent at the USPTO), the EU (Registered Community Design via EUIPO), and the UK (registered design at the IPO) each have their own fee schedules, with reductions in some cases, and these are adjusted periodically. The Hague System allows one international application covering multiple member countries. We give you current figures for your target jurisdictions when we scope the filing.
A design registration is an intellectual property right that protects the visual appearance of a product, its shape, configuration, surface pattern, ornament, or the composition of lines and colours applied to an article. It protects how a product looks, not how it works. In India it is granted under the Designs Act, 2000, and gives the registered proprietor the exclusive right to apply that design to articles in its registered class.
A patent protects how an invention works, its function, mechanism, or process, and lasts 20 years. A design registration protects how a product looks, its visual appearance, and lasts up to 15 years in India (10 + 5). A new gadget might have a patent for its internal technology and a design registration for its distinctive external shape. They protect different things and often work together.
A trademark protects identifiers that signal the source of goods, brand names, logos, slogans, and can last indefinitely while renewed and used. A design protects the appearance of the product itself, and lasts a fixed, renewable term. A logo is usually a trademark; the shape of the product carrying that logo is a design. Some distinctive shapes can qualify as both, but the rights are different.
They are the same idea under different names and systems. The United States protects product appearance through a “design patent” granted by the USPTO. India, the EU, the UK, and many other countries use a “registered design” (or “industrial design”) system. Both protect the ornamental appearance of a product; the terminology and term differ by jurisdiction, which is why cross-border filing needs someone who knows each system. In India, the right is sometimes described as conferring “copyright in the design.”
In India, a design is protected for 10 years from the date of registration, extendable by a further 5 years on renewal before expiry, so 15 years maximum. Other jurisdictions differ: US design patents and EU and UK registered designs each run their own terms (commonly up to 15 to 25 years with renewals, depending on the system). We confirm the term for each jurisdiction you file in.
The government filing fee is Rs 1,000 for a natural person (individual), Rs 2,000 for a small entity or startup, and Rs 4,000 for a large entity, per design, per Locarno class. On top of that is the professional fee for the novelty search, representations, and filing. It is one of the most cost-effective IP rights available, which is why it is often overlooked and shouldn’t be.
Typically 6 to 12 months from filing to registration, depending on whether the Registry raises objections in the examination report and how quickly they are resolved. Unlike trademarks, designs are not advertised for a public opposition period, which keeps the process comparatively quick.
Usually not, and this catches people out. A design must generally be new and undisclosed when you file, prior publication, display, or sale, including by you, can destroy its novelty and your right to register it. India offers only a limited grace period in specific circumstances, so the safe rule is: file before you disclose. If you have already launched, talk to us quickly, the position depends on exactly what was disclosed and when.
Yes. Design rights are territorial, so you register in each country or region where you want protection, but it can be coordinated. You can file directly in each country, use the Hague System to file one international application covering multiple members, or file in one country first and claim priority in others within six months. We help you choose the route that fits your markets and budget.
The Locarno Classification is the international system for categorising industrial designs by the type of article (for example, packaging, furniture, clothing). India uses it to classify design applications, and each application covers a single class. Choosing the correct class matters, it affects both the search and the scope of protection.
An IP right protecting the visual appearance of a product, its shape, configuration, surface pattern, ornament, or composition of lines and colours. It protects how a product looks, not how it works. In India it is granted under the Designs Act, 2000, giving the proprietor the exclusive right to apply the design to articles in its registered class.
A patent protects how an invention works (function), for 20 years. A design protects how a product looks (appearance), for up to 15 years in India. A product can have both, a patent for its technology and a design for its shape. They protect different things and often work together.
A trademark protects source identifiers (names, logos, slogans) and can last indefinitely while used and renewed. A design protects the appearance of the product itself, for a fixed renewable term. A logo is usually a trademark; the product’s shape is a design. Some shapes qualify as both, but the rights differ.
They are the same concept under different names. The US protects product appearance via a “design patent” (USPTO). India, the EU, the UK, and others use a “registered design” / “industrial design” system. Both protect ornamental appearance; terminology and term differ by jurisdiction. In India the right is sometimes described as “copyright in the design.”
In India, 10 years from registration, extendable by 5 on renewal before expiry, so 15 years maximum. US design patents and EU/UK registered designs run their own terms. We confirm the term for each jurisdiction you file in.
The government filing fee is Rs 1,000 for a natural person, Rs 2,000 for a small entity or startup, and Rs 4,000 for a large entity, per design, per Locarno class, plus the professional fee for search, representations, and filing. One of the most cost-effective IP rights available.
Typically 6 to 12 months from filing to registration, depending on whether the Registry raises objections and how quickly they are resolved. Unlike trademarks, designs are not advertised for a public opposition period.
Usually not. A design must generally be new and undisclosed when you file, prior publication, display, or sale (including by you) can destroy novelty. India offers only a limited grace period in specific circumstances, so the safe rule is file before you disclose. If you have already launched, contact us quickly; the position depends on what was disclosed and when.
Yes. Design rights are territorial, so you register where you want protection, but it can be coordinated: directly in each country, via the Hague System (one international application covering multiple members), or by filing in one country and claiming priority in others within six months.
The international system for categorising industrial designs by type of article (packaging, furniture, clothing, and so on). India uses it; each application covers a single class. Choosing the correct class affects both the search and the scope of protection.
Prakhar Rai is an advocate enrolled with the Bar Council of India and the founder of My Legal Pal. An alumnus of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, with a Master of Business Laws, Prakhar has 10+ years of experience advising startups, product companies, designers, and inventors on intellectual property, contracts, and corporate matters across India and internationally.
His practice has particular depth in intellectual property protection across the full toolkit, designs, trademarks, and patents, helping product businesses protect both how their products look and how they work. My Legal Pal’s design registration service is led by Prakhar and delivered by a team experienced across the major design and IP offices.
Design registration in India under the Designs Act, 2000, plus US design patents and EU and UK registered designs. Novelty search, representations, filing, and prosecution. Confidential review and an honest view of what’s registrable. File before you disclose.
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