Introduction
The protection of industrial designs is an often overlooked
opportunity. Apart from design products, such as furniture,
interior lamps and tableware, there is a tendency to focus on
patents and trademarks as the dominant types of IP right. However,
there are many good reasons for supplementing a portfolio of rights
with design registrations or for focusing primarily on design
rights as the most important type of IP protection. Design rights
are easy to obtain, the registration process is quick and
applicants end up with documentation of what has been protected.
The importance of design registrations will only increase in
future, not only for consumer goods, but also for
business-to-business products when high-quality design will be a
way of communicating the quality of a product and set it aside as
unique and preferred among users (eg, professional tools, computer
products for business or the packaging of intermediate goods, where
recognisable design
