The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has launched a major consultation to modernise the country’s designs system, aiming to make it more robust, accessible and future-ready. The initiative is set to benefit businesses that rely on design rights to protect their products, potentially reshaping how design protection is secured and enforced across the UK.
The current registered designs system allows for relatively limited examination, leading to concerns over misuse and disputes. The IPO is proposing the introduction of novelty checks and bad faith provisions to strengthen the validity of registrations. These measures aim to ensure only genuinely new designs are protected and deter opportunistic filings, reducing legal uncertainty for businesses.
A key focus is simplifying the UK’s overlapping system of design protections, which includes registered and unregistered rights as well as copyright. Many companies, particularly SMEs, find the system complex and difficult to navigate. The consultation explores ways to streamline protections and clarify how unregistered design rights and copyright interact—changes that could make the framework more user-friendly and legally coherent.
The IPO is also addressing digital and AI-generated designs, recognising the growing significance of virtual, animated and computer-generated creations. Proposals aim to adapt the legal framework to support innovation in sectors such as gaming, digital media and AI-driven design.
Further reforms under consultation include introducing a small claims track for design disputes, offering a faster and more affordable route to justice. Plans to allow new file formats and simplify submission processes also reflect the IPO’s push for modernisation.
The UK design sector is valued at nearly £100 billion annually, underscoring the economic importance of these reforms. The consultation seeks to address post-Brexit legal uncertainties and provide clearer international protections, reinforcing the UK’s global standing in design innovation.
Open until 27 November 2025, the consultation has received support from industry bodies including the UK Fashion & Textile Association and the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys. Stakeholders across fashion, technology and manufacturing are encouraged to contribute their views.
This initiative forms part of the IPO’s broader Corporate Plan for 2025 to 2026, which commits to creating a design rights system that embraces digital change and supports the needs of modern creators. For UK businesses and innovators, the consultation offers a chance to shape a more dynamic, transparent and future-proof design protection framework—positioning the UK as a leader in responsible innovation and creative excellence.
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