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ARTICLE · 04 NOVEMBER 2026

GUI And Icon Designs In India: CGPDTM’s Draft Guidelines Open The Door, With Conditions

S.S. Rana & Co.
S.S. Rana & Co.
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The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) has put out draft Guidelines for Registration of Designs relating to GUI & Icon etc. under the Designs Act, 2000 and the Designs Rules, 2001. The draft was published on the IP India website by public notice dated 1 October 2026, and stakeholders have been asked to send comments and suggestions to [email protected] and [email protected] within 30 days of the notice, that is, by 31 October 2026. The draft sets out how Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), icons and similar subject matter are to be titled, classified, represented and examined.

IndiaIntellectual Property
Vikrant Rana
Vikrant Rana
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I. Introduction

The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) has put out draft Guidelines for Registration of Designs relating to GUI & Icon etc. under the Designs Act, 2000 and the Designs Rules, 2001. The draft was published on the IP India website by public notice dated 1 October 2026, and stakeholders have been asked to send comments and suggestions to [email protected] and [email protected] within 30 days of the notice, that is, by 31 October 2026. The draft sets out how Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), icons and similar subject matter are to be titled, classified, represented and examined.

The draft is expressly built on the judgment dated 09-03-2026 of the Hon’ble High Court at Calcutta. It states that it is not based on any proposed amendment to the Designs Act, including the DPIIT Concept Note dated 23.01.2026; that it does not create, enlarge, restrict or modify the scope of registrability or protection; and that, in case

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