Have your say and help shape the UK’s designs system
The UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) recently launched a new survey as part of the government's review of the UK’s design protection system.
The UK IPO is calling all designers, businesses and their representatives to share their views on the current design framework, helping to guide a formal technical consultation planned for later this year.
With the design sector contributing almost £100bn GVA a year to the UK economy, the UK IPO is keen to ensure the framework meets the needs of designers, consumers and society, and is fit for the future.
The feedback will inform options for potential changes, with the aim of making it easier to access and use the system, and easier to enforce IP rights.
To help gather insight and focus the survey, the questions explore five key principles:
- Cost – the system should offer value for money
- Validity – the system should provide appropriate level of validity and clarity about existence of IP rights
- Speed – design protection should be quick to obtain and enforce
- Choice – the system should provide choice for designers
- Simplicity – the system should be as simple as possible
The UK IPO is interested in which principles are most important to users and why, as well as what people think should be protected as a design.
Chris Mills, the UK IPO's Director of Rights Policy, said: "Great design is at the heart of successful UK products and businesses, helping them stand out in an increasingly competitive global marketplace and driving growth in our economy.
“We have published a new design protection survey and want to hear from everyone who has a stake in the UK's thriving design economy - whether you're a designer, manufacturer, representative, trade body or simply interested in design.
"You don't need to be an IP expert to take part in our design protection survey and share your views with us. Your experience and insights will help us ensure our designs framework remains modern, accessible, and fit for the digital age. I strongly encourage everyone to contribute before 1 April and help shape the future of design protection in the UK."
The short survey follows a previous call for views, undertaken by the UK IPO back in 2022, with a summary of themes expected to be published alongside the consultation later this year.
We will be providing a response on behalf of our members.
Please submit your responses by 1st April – share your feedback here.