Designs can be registered for a wide range of products, including computers, telephones, CD-players, textiles, jewelry and watches.
Registered designs protect only the appearance of products, for example the look of a computer monitor. Registration of the design does not protect the way in which the design product works. Protection for the way in which a product works may be available under patent law. Computer software is protected under copyright law.
Registered design owners have the right to prevent others from manufacturing, importing, using, selling or hiring the design product.
Registered design protection is renewable for periods of five years up to a maximum of 25 years.
To obtain registered-design protection in Singapore, you need to file an application with IPOS. Registration gives you statutory rights over the protected design in Singapore. Other intellectual property rights, such as copyright, may sometimes apply separately depending on the work and circumstances, but they are different forms of protection.
You should not to publish or disclose your industrial design before you file your application to register your design. Once you disclose your design to the public, your design will be deemed to have lost its novelty and cannot be registered.
Industrial design rights are granted for a limited period. The duration of the protection of industrial designs varies from country to country, but it amounts at least to 10 years. In many countries, the total duration of protection is divided into successive renewable periods.
In principle, the owner of a registered industrial design or of a design patent has the right to prevent third parties from making, selling or importing articles bearing or embodying a design which is a copy, or substantially a copy, of the protected design, when such acts are undertaken for commercial purposes.
Industrial design rights are territorial. This means that these rights are limited to the country (or region) where protection is granted.
At present, no “world” or “international” industrial design right exists. In general, in order to obtain protection in other countries, an application for the registration of an industrial design or for the grant of a patent for an industrial design must be filed1. in each country where protection is sought, in accordance with the law of that country.
Design rights focus on a product’s shape, pattern, and decorative appearance. Once registered, they can prevent competitors from imitating similar product appearances and help establish a distinctive market image.
Intellectual property covers intangible results generated from creativity, technology, and business management, such as brand names, logos, patented technologies, and proprietary processes. An effective IP strategy helps prevent misuse or misappropriation, strengthens corporate image, attracts investors, and creates new revenue opportunities.
Comprehensive document preparation is the foundation of a successful application. It establishes originality, ownership, and legal status, helps ensure enforceability under Hong Kong’s legal framework, and reduces the risk of future disputes.
Intellectual property is territorial in nature. Registration in Hong Kong is effective only locally, so expansion into international markets requires protection to be extended through national filings or international systems such as WIPO.
