It is a type of intellectual property, meaning that its owners have legal rights, known as design rights, that provide protection against its unauthorised use.

Unlike a patent, which prevents unauthorised copying of the unique way a product works, or the unique way in which it is made, design rights protect the unique ‘look’ of a product, which can be a significant factor influencing a customer’s decision to buy it.

This factsheet explains four different types of design right, which give different degrees of protection against unauthorised use. These are: unregistered UK design right, registered UK design right, and two types of design right that cover the whole of the European Union (EU), known as registered community design right and unregistered community design right.

The factsheet also outlines the procedures involved in registering a design, both in the UK and in the EU. It briefly indicates how to protect a design in non-EU countries and explains how copyright relates to design protection.