A quick guide to… design protection in the UK and EU

In this quick guide, we consider the two main forms of registered and unregistered design protection available in the UK and EU.

What types of design protection are available in the UK? 

There are two main types of design protection available in the UK: a registered design (known as a UK Registered Design or UKRD) and an unregistered design (known as a Supplementary Unregistered Design or SUD). SUDs are a new form of unregistered design that the UK agreed to protect on Brexit. They are called supplementary unregistered designs to distinguish them from the other form of unregistered design (called Design Right) that already existed in – and is unique to – the UK. Design right is only covered briefly (and where specified) in this guide. 

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