Industrial designs serve to protect and grant exclusive rights over the external appearance of objects, defined by their shapes, contours, colors, textures, etc., as long as they are new and have a distinctive character.

In the image-driven era, the outward appearance of products offered in the market, which is intrinsic to the essence of the object, could not go unnoticed by the intellectual property system. Through the registration of designs, it grants creators monopolistic rights for the exploitation of their designs incorporated into a specific product.

With an initial protection period of five years, which can be extended successively in five-year increments to reach a maximum duration of twenty-five years, industrial designs also have the option to be extended abroad depending on the commercial penetration needs of the designed product. The six-month priority period from the first registration must be respected, and the Hague System for international protection can be used to simplify and reduce the cost of multinational protection. Additionally, EU citizens have community designs as specific means to channel the protection of the external appearance of commercial products effectively through a single registration in the 27 countries of the Union.

Protection through industrial designs is often combined or alternated with other forms of industrial property. Notably, industrial designs and three-dimensional trademarks are often concurrent, requiring a decision in each case regarding which type of coverage is most suitable based on the nature of the product, the significance of its external appearance, and the desired protection. The professionals at VITRUVIO IP LEGAL assist their clients in devising the best strategy, tailoring legal options to the specific expectations of individuals or businesses.