UK Government Proposes Modern Overhaul of Design Laws to Boost Innovation and Competitiveness
Whitehall launches wide-ranging consultation on intellectual property reforms to strengthen protections for UK creators and align with global standards
The United Kingdom government has launched a comprehensive consultation on reforming the nation’s design rights framework, aiming to modernise intellectual property protections for designers and creative industries and bolster the UK’s economic competitiveness post-Brexit.
The review targets key areas of the current regime, including the duration of unregistered design rights, clarity of protection criteria and the interaction between registered and unregistered rights.
Under existing law, unregistered design rights provide limited protection for the shape and configuration of UK-made products for a maximum period of ten years, but businesses and industry groups have called for a longer, clearer, and more internationally harmonised regime to better support innovation and export markets.
The government consultation seeks views on extending the term of unregistered design rights, simplifying registration processes and enhancing enforcement mechanisms to better deter copying and infringement.
Officials also want feedback on how UK design protections can align more closely with frameworks in major trading partners, such as the European Union and the United States, to reduce barriers for British designers operating in global markets.
The proposals include possible reforms to improve the clarity of what constitutes a ‘design’ under the law and to streamline procedural requirements for securing registered design rights.
The consultation reflects broader efforts by the Department for Business and Trade to strengthen intellectual property regimes as part of the government’s strategy to support high-value sectors including fashion, furniture, industrial design, technology hardware and automotive design.
Creators and businesses will be invited to submit evidence, with the government indicating that any legislative changes would be subject to parliamentary scrutiny and drafted with stakeholder input.
Industry representatives have broadly welcomed the initiative as a positive step toward modernising UK design law, though some advocate for bolder changes to ensure stronger deterrents against infringement and to accelerate dispute resolution.
The government expects the consultation results to inform potential legislative proposals later this year, offering an opportunity to reinforce the UK’s position as a centre for design excellence and to ensure that national intellectual property laws keep pace with evolving commercial and technological contexts.
The review targets key areas of the current regime, including the duration of unregistered design rights, clarity of protection criteria and the interaction between registered and unregistered rights.
Under existing law, unregistered design rights provide limited protection for the shape and configuration of UK-made products for a maximum period of ten years, but businesses and industry groups have called for a longer, clearer, and more internationally harmonised regime to better support innovation and export markets.
The government consultation seeks views on extending the term of unregistered design rights, simplifying registration processes and enhancing enforcement mechanisms to better deter copying and infringement.
Officials also want feedback on how UK design protections can align more closely with frameworks in major trading partners, such as the European Union and the United States, to reduce barriers for British designers operating in global markets.
The proposals include possible reforms to improve the clarity of what constitutes a ‘design’ under the law and to streamline procedural requirements for securing registered design rights.
The consultation reflects broader efforts by the Department for Business and Trade to strengthen intellectual property regimes as part of the government’s strategy to support high-value sectors including fashion, furniture, industrial design, technology hardware and automotive design.
Creators and businesses will be invited to submit evidence, with the government indicating that any legislative changes would be subject to parliamentary scrutiny and drafted with stakeholder input.
Industry representatives have broadly welcomed the initiative as a positive step toward modernising UK design law, though some advocate for bolder changes to ensure stronger deterrents against infringement and to accelerate dispute resolution.
The government expects the consultation results to inform potential legislative proposals later this year, offering an opportunity to reinforce the UK’s position as a centre for design excellence and to ensure that national intellectual property laws keep pace with evolving commercial and technological contexts.
