Whether you are a startup, an SME, a global brand or an independent designer, protecting the appearance of your product, packaging, interface or pattern is one of the most cost-effective IP investments you can make. A registered design grants you exclusive rights over the visual identity of your creation, which is often the first thing a competitor or counterfeiter tries to copy.
Dreyfus advises international clients on the full life cycle of designs and models: filing strategy, registration with the INPI in France, with the EUIPO at European level, and through the Hague System administered by WIPO for international protection in over 90 contracting parties.
Four structural advantages of the European design system that make registration one of the most efficient legal investments to protect the look of your products.
A registered design or Community Design is protected for 5 years from the filing date and can be renewed four times in 5-year increments, up to a total of 25 years. One of the longest protections available in IP law for the look of a product.
Source: EU Regulation 6/2002 on Community designs.
A Registered Community Design filed with the EUIPO protects the appearance of your product across all 27 EU member states under a single right, with one application, one renewal and a single market of 450 million consumers covered.
Source: EUIPO, Registered Community Design procedure
The Hague System, administered by WIPO, lets designers extend the protection of their designs to over 90 contracting parties through one centralized application, in one language and with one set of fees. The fastest path to global design protection.
Source: WIPO, Hague System for the international registration of industrial designs.
EU law lets you disclose your design publicly at a trade show, on social media or to investors, and still file a valid Community Design within 12 months. A critical strategic window that requires careful timing and documentation.
Source: EU Regulation 6/2002, article 7(2).
Design and model law protects the appearance of a product: its lines, contours, colors, shape, texture, materials, ornamentation or the way its different elements are arranged. The protected design can be that of an entire product, a part of it, or even ornamentation applied to it. It can apply to industrial products (furniture, vehicles, electronics, packaging), handcrafted creations, fashion items, jewellery, graphic patterns, type fonts, app interfaces and many other visual creations.
This protection is distinct from patent law, which protects technical inventions, and from copyright, which arises automatically without registration. A single creation may be eligible for multiple forms of protection at the same time, and choosing the right combination is a strategic decision.
The appearance of your products is a significant commercial asset. It distinguishes you from competitors, builds visual identity for your brand and is often the very element that drives purchase decisions. Registering a design or model is the only way to obtain a registered industrial property title on this appearance.
A registered design grants an exclusive exploitation monopoly: in the European Union, a Registered Community Design (RCD) filed with the EUIPO is initially protected for 5 years and can be renewed in 5-year periods up to a maximum of 25 years. A French national design filed with the INPI follows the same logic. International protection is available through the Hague System for over 90 contracting parties in one centralized procedure.
In parallel, an Unregistered Community Design (UCD) is automatically protected for 3 years from first public disclosure within the EU, but only against deliberate copying. Registration provides far stronger protection: it covers identical and similar designs, even without proof of copying.
To be registered as a design or model, your creation must meet two conditions defined by EU Regulation 6/2002 and French law:
Importantly, EU law provides a 12-month grace period: a designer can disclose their creation publicly (at a trade show, on social media or to potential investors) and still file a valid design application within 12 months of that first disclosure. This window is a critical strategic tool but is often missed because of poor timing of the filing.
To maintain protection, designs must be properly renewed every 5 years up to the 25-year maximum. Our attorneys handle the full renewal cycle and monitor your portfolio to ensure no critical deadline is missed.
Dreyfus combines French legal expertise with direct access to the INPI, the EUIPO and the WIPO Hague System, and coordinates with a network of trusted local correspondents in every jurisdiction where your designs matter. We support international clients in design and model filing, renewal, watch, opposition, anti-counterfeiting and litigation across France, the European Union and beyond.
We assist in registering your designs and models to ensure effective and recognized legal protection nationally and internationally.
We provide portfolio management services, including renewal tracking and strategy implementation to enhance your creations.
We represent clients in design and model disputes, including infringement actions, opposition procedures, and nullity actions.
We develop customized strategies to protect your designs and models against unauthorized copying and use.
Our experts advise on regulatory compliance and best practices for safe innovation.
We conduct continuous monitoring to detect any rights violations and act quickly to enforce them.
A Registered Community Design is typically granted within a few days to a few weeks after filing with the EUIPO, making it one of the fastest IP rights to obtain in Europe. The EUIPO conducts a formal examination but no substantive novelty check, so the design is published quickly. Validity can later be challenged through invalidity proceedings or in court.
A French INPI design filing starts at 39 euros for one design plus 22 euros for publication, with additional fees per design and per year of deferred protection. A Registered Community Design with the EUIPO starts at 350 euros per design for the first 5-year period, with reduced rates for multiple designs in the same application. Hague System fees vary by designated country.
A Registered Community Design (RCD) gives 25 years of exclusive protection across the EU against both identical and similar designs, regardless of intent. An Unregistered Community Design (UCD) is automatic for 3 years from first public disclosure within the EU but only protects against deliberate copying. Registration is strongly recommended for any design with commercial potential.
The Hague System, administered by WIPO in Geneva, lets design owners extend protection to over 90 contracting parties through a single international application, in one language and with one set of fees. It is the most efficient route to international design protection for businesses operating in multiple markets.
Yes. EU and French design law provide a 12-month grace period: a designer can disclose their design at a trade show, on social media or to investors and still file a valid application within 12 months. However, this grace period only applies in jurisdictions that recognize it, so disclosing before filing can compromise rights in countries with stricter novelty rules (such as China).
A design protects the appearance of a product (shape, color, ornamentation). A trademark protects a sign that identifies the commercial origin of products or services. A patent protects a technical invention. A single product can sometimes benefit from all three protections in parallel, which is a strategic choice we help our clients make.
Yes. A registered design can be invalidated on several grounds: lack of novelty, lack of individual character, prior conflicting rights or features dictated solely by technical function. Invalidity proceedings may be brought before the EUIPO or before the competent courts, with appeals before the EUIPO Boards of Appeal. Active monitoring and a strong filing strategy minimize these risks.
In France and at the EUIPO, individuals and EU-based companies can file directly. Non-EU companies must appoint a professional representative within the EU. Even when not legally required, working with a designs attorney ensures the right scope of protection, optimal classification of products and a defensible filing strategy across the territories where your designs matter.
