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Design

Designs protect the way things look. There are different types of protection available for designs. Registered design rights are offered at the IPO but there are also unregistered rights and European design rights.

Monopoly and the inventor who was streets ahead

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Copyright, Design, Design right, Licensing, Patents

With Christmas fast approaching, families everywhere are likely to be dusting off their Monopoly board, together with its familiar Scottie dog and top hat player pieces, ready for their annual challenge. How many will be aware of the challenges the game itself has seen since its original invention? Read on to find out more!

Ten years of the IPO in Southeast Asia

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Design, International, Patents, Trade marks

This year marks 10 years of the IPO’s attaché network in Southeast Asia (SE Asia). We spoke to Rachael Wood, IPO Senior Advisor for Business and International Policy in SE Asia, to learn how the team has been supporting UK businesses trading in the region since our SE Asia IP relationship began.

One IPO Transformation: first glimpse of our simplified search service

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Design, Digital, Innovation, IPO, Patents, Trade marks, Transformation, User research
Decorative image to represent the transformation project including a clock, tools, the IPO office, people giving feedback

With less than one year until we start piloting the ‘One IPO’ service for patents customers, Lucy Mills, Project Lead, tells us about the new search service, with new tools to search and analyse IP.

Hornit’s story: the SME who used IP to combat the counterfeiters

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Business, Copyright, Design, Design right, Enforcement, Innovation, Patents, Trade marks
Hornit's bike rack, CLUG, holding several bikes upright in garage with person onlooking

Wheeling their way into the future, are Hornit - an innovative and creative British business that produces a wide range of cycling products. We spoke to their CEO Tom de Pelet about how Hornit has grown and how intellectual property …

Don't blow Christmas: avoid a mistake, spot the fake

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Copyright, Design, Enforcement, Trade marks

The IPO has collaborated with a range of enforcement partners to help consumers stay safe when shopping and to avoid counterfeit products. With prices dropping across retail and Christmas around the corner, Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be irresistible. Find out how you could be targeted by online traders selling counterfeit goods.

Levelling Up: how we’re helping UK businesses to build through IP 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Business, Copyright, Design, Design right, Innovation, Levelling Up, Patents, Trade marks
Hand of engineer playing a blocks wood tower game (jenga)

Intellectual property (IP) is crucial to the UK’s future prosperity, so supporting innovation and economic growth is at the heart of the work we do at the IPO. IPO CEO Tim Moss takes a look at how IP plays a major role in the UK’s Levelling Up agenda.

The future of protecting designs: have you had your say yet?

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Business, Design, Design right, IPO
Call for views on design IP

We are currently reviewing the UK designs system and launched our call for views on the designs framework in January 2022, which runs until the 25th March. IPO Head of Design Policy, Fiona Warner explains more about what is in the call for views and why it is important for anyone working in design to have their say.