Trademark & IP
Design registration
Design registration under the Designs Act, 2000 protects the new shape, pattern or ornamentation of a product, as it looks to the eye. We search registered designs, prepare the representation sheets and statement of novelty, and file the application with the Patent Office. A registered design is protected for 10 years, which can be extended once by 5 years.
- Search of registered designs before filing
- Representation sheets for each view
- Statement of novelty and disclaimers drafted
- Up to 15 years of protection
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Price
Design registration, one design
₹6,999+ ₹1,260 GST
Filed within 7–10 working days of your drawings or photos
- Search of registered designs in your class
- Classification of the article
- Representation sheets prepared from your drawings or photos
- Statement of novelty and any disclaimers
- Application on Form-1 filed with the Patent Office
- Replies to examination objections
- Tracking until the design is registered
Fees are before 18% GST. The government fee is paid at actuals; it is lower for individuals, startups and small entities than for other applicants. A hearing, if the Controller fixes one, is quoted separately.
Who needs design registration
- Manufacturers launching a product with a new shape or look
- Designers of furniture, lighting, jewellery, packaging, bottles or footwear
- Brands with a distinctive textile print or surface pattern
- Startups that want to stop copies of how their product looks
Documents you'll need
About the design
- Drawings or photos of the article from each side and in perspective
- Name of the article and what it's used for
- A short note on what's new in how it looks
- Whether the design has been shown, sold or published anywhere, and when
About the applicant
- Name, address and nationality of the applicant
- DPIIT recognition or Udyam certificate, to claim the lower fee
- Assignment from the designer, if the applicant isn't the designer
- Signed authorisation in our favour (we prepare it)
You upload these from your order page after you pay. Scans or clear phone photos are fine.
How it works
- 1
Look at the product
You send drawings or photos and tell us what's new. We check that it's a matter of design, not of how the product works.
- 2
Search
We search registered designs in the class and tell you how yours compares and what to claim as new.
- 3
Representation sheets
We prepare the views, the statement of novelty and any disclaimers, and you approve them.
- 4
Filing
We file Form-1 with the Patent Office and send you the application number.
- 5
Examination and registration
The Controller examines the application and we reply to any objections. Once accepted, the design is registered and published in the Patent Office Journal.
What can be registered
A design is the shape, configuration, pattern, ornament or composition of lines or colours applied to an article by an industrial process, and judged only by the eye. It must be new or original, clearly different from known designs, and not published anywhere in the world before you file.
Some things can't be registered as a design: a mechanical principle or way of working, a trademark, or an artistic work as such. If the value of your product lies in how it works rather than how it looks, a patent is the right route.
Keep it private until you file
Showing, selling or posting a design publicly before filing can destroy its novelty, so file before the launch, trade fair or catalogue shoot. There's a limited exception for some notified exhibitions, but it's safer not to rely on it.
Once registered, the design is protected for 10 years from the filing date, and the term can be extended once by another 5 years. Anyone who copies it during that time can be sued for piracy of a registered design.
Frequently asked questions
Design or patent: which do I need?
A design protects how a product looks; a patent protects how it works or what it does. Some products need both. Tell us what's new about yours and we'll suggest the route.
Can I register a design after I've started selling the product?
Usually not, because selling or publishing it means it's no longer new. File before the product is shown or sold.
How long does a design registration last?
10 years from the date of filing, which can be extended once by another 5 years, so up to 15 years in all.
Can a logo be registered as a design?
No. Logos and brand names are protected by trademark registration, and the artwork by copyright.
Can someone challenge my registered design?
Yes. There is no opposition before registration, but afterwards anyone can ask the Controller to cancel it, for example because the design wasn't new. A search before filing lowers that risk.
Do I need a separate application for each design?
Generally, yes. If you have a range of variants, tell us and we'll advise on how to file them.