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ARTICLE · 25 SEPTEMBER 2025

Major Changes To UK Design Law Under Consultation, Including AI-Generated Designs

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The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has launched a major consultation on modernising the UK's design protection system, with proposals that could deliver the most significant...

United KingdomIntellectual Property
Nathan Smith
Nathan Smith
Anita Hodea
Anita Hodea
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The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has launched a major consultation on modernising the UK's design protection system, with proposals that could deliver the most significant transformation of design law in decades (Design Consultation). The Design Consultation covers reforms across the UK's £100 billion design sector that supports around 80,000 businesses and nearly two million jobs, with the aim of strengthening Britain's position as a global design powerhouse.

AI-Generated Designs

A central question for the Design Consultation is whether designs created without a human author, such as those generated entirely by artificial intelligence (AI), should continue to qualify for protection. Current UK law, under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, allows protection for computer-generated designs without human authorship, but this provision appears to be rarely used. The UK Government's preferred position is to remove this option unless clear

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