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Patents protect how something works. Registered designs protect how it looks. If the value of your product is in its appearance — its shape, lines, pattern or decoration — this is the protection you want, and it’s remarkably cheap and easy to get yourself.
What a registered design protects
It protects the appearance of all or part of a product: shape, contours, colours, texture, materials, pattern or ornamentation. It does not protect how the product functions — that’s what a patent is for.
How to register — yourself, from about £50
You apply online to the Intellectual Property Office. It costs from around £50 for one design (cheaper per design if you file several together). Your design must be new and have individual character — give a different overall impression from what’s already out there. The IPO doesn’t examine novelty, so registration is usually quick. Check current fees on the IPO design service.
How long it lasts
A registered design lasts up to 25 years — you renew it every 5 years to keep it in force. That’s far longer than a patent.
You may already have free protection
Even without registering, UK unregistered design right automatically protects the shape and configuration of an original design for up to 15 years (or 10 years from when you first sell it, whichever is earlier). Registering is stronger and easier to enforce — but it’s good to know you’re not starting from nothing.
Don’t disclose before you file
As with patents, showing your design publicly can count against the “new” requirement. The UK gives a 12-month grace period for your own disclosures, but the safest course is to register before you reveal it to the world.
Not sure a design is the right tool? See Patent vs Trademark vs Copyright vs Trade Secret.
Last reviewed: June 2026 · For use in England & Wales. eLitigant is a Community Interest Company (No. 16566612), not a law firm, and does not give legal advice. Always confirm current rules and fees on gov.uk.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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