DeutschDecisive factors for a market success can be the design of a product. A design can also be a significant asset of your company and belongs to the intellectual property. It protects the color and shape of your product. It can protect three-dimensional objects such as furniture, toys, utensils or two-dimensional designs such as logos, fabrics, wallpapers, graphics.
The design patent gives the right to prohibit others from using the same design without your consent. The right to prohibit includes manufacturing, offering, selling or importing and exporting the protected design.
Design protection is granted for five years and is renewable a maximum of five times for a total of 25 years.
The German design is only valid for the Federal Republic of Germany, for international designs there are the following possibilities:
- the Community design,
- an international design or
- national designs in foreign countries.
