Industrial Design Registration —
Protect the Look of
Your Product
An industrial design protects the visual appearance of a product — its shape, configuration, pattern, or ornamentation — as it appeals to the eye. Registration under the Designs Act, 2000 gives you the exclusive right to use the design in India for up to 15 years, and the right to sue any manufacturer who copies your product's look without permission. TaxClue files design applications for products across all industries.
Register Your Industrial Design
Application filed within ✅ 5–7 working days
What an Industrial Design Protects — and What It Does Not
A design registration protects the visual, aesthetic features of a product — not its functional aspects. The Designs Act, 2000 is narrower than patent law (which protects function) and copyright (which protects creative expression). It fills the gap: protecting how a manufactured product looks.
Shape & Configuration
The three-dimensional form of an article — the silhouette of a bottle, the contour of a chair, the curvature of a smartphone body. Anything that gives the article a distinctive visual appearance by virtue of its shape.
Pattern & Ornamentation
Two-dimensional visual features applied to an article by any industrial process — surface patterns on fabric, decorative motifs on ceramics, repeating geometrical patterns on packaging. The design must be visible on the finished article.
Composition of Lines or Colours
A distinctive arrangement of lines or a specific colour combination applied to an article. A unique colour-blocking pattern on a product, a distinctive stripe configuration, or an identifying colour scheme applied to a manufactured product.
Purely Functional Features
Features of shape or configuration that are dictated solely by the function of the article cannot be registered. If removing the feature would prevent the article from functioning, it is functional — and not a design. Only aesthetic features qualify.
Sculptures & Works of Art
Works that qualify as sculptures or artistic works under the Copyright Act are excluded from design registration. The same work cannot be protected by both design law and copyright — once applied industrially (more than 50 copies), copyright protection is lost and design registration becomes essential.
Flags, Emblems & Prior Designs
Designs contrary to public order or morality, designs that include national flags or official emblems, and designs already published in India or elsewhere before the application date cannot be registered. Novelty is assessed at the date of application — prior disclosure destroys registrability.
Form 1 — What the Design Application Contains
Design registration in India is filed with the Design Wing of the Patent Office on Form 1 under Rule 11 of the Designs Rules, 2001. The application is examined by a Design Examiner — who checks for novelty and compliance with the Act.
The most critical element of a design application is the representation — the drawings, photographs, or specimens that show the design from all relevant views. The representation defines the scope of protection: what is shown is what is protected. TaxClue prepares representations that maximise protection while meeting Patent Office formatting requirements.
Form 1 — Key Application Components
Registration Process — Step by Step
TaxClue handles everything from representation preparation to registration certificate.
Design Assessment
TaxClue reviews the design for registrability — novelty check against existing registered designs, identification of functional vs aesthetic features, and Locarno classification.
Day 1Representations Prepared
Drawings or photographs of the design prepared from all required views to Patent Office specifications — the most important element of the application. TaxClue advises on which views maximise protection.
Day 1–4Form 1 Drafted & Filed
Application drafted with statement of novelty, article description, Locarno class, and all representations. Filed online at the Patent Office e-filing portal with govt. fee paid.
Day 4–7Examination
Design Examiner reviews the application — checks novelty, compliance with Act, and representation quality. If objections raised, TaxClue responds on your behalf within the stipulated period.
1–6 monthsRegistration & Certificate
If no objection, or after objection is resolved, design is registered. Certificate of registration issued with design number. Entry made in the Register of Designs — public record of ownership.
1–9 months totalDesign Registration vs Patent vs Copyright — Which Protection Do You Need?
Products can attract multiple types of IP protection simultaneously — but each protects a different aspect.
| Feature | Design Registration | Patent | Copyright |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it protects | Visual appearance of product | Functional innovation | Original creative expression |
| Applicable to | Manufactured articles | Inventions / processes | Literary, artistic, musical works |
| Registration required | Yes — mandatory | Yes — mandatory | No — automatic; registration optional |
| Duration | 10 years + 5 year renewal | 20 years | Life + 60 years (literary) |
| Novelty requirement | Yes — not prior published | Yes — novel & non-obvious | No — originality only |
| Exam by authority | Yes — Design Examiner | Yes — Patent Examiner | Yes — Registrar of Copyrights |
| Infringement remedy | Injunction + damages | Injunction + damages | Injunction + damages + criminal |
| Governing law | Designs Act, 2000 | Patents Act, 1970 | Copyright Act, 1957 |
💰 Government Fees — Design Registration (Form 1)
Design registration fees are significantly lower than patent fees. Small entities and startups receive a 50% concession.
| Applicant Category | 1 Design (Physical) | 1 Design (E-filing) |
|---|---|---|
| Individual / Startup | ₹1,000 | ₹1,000 |
| Small Entity / MSME | ₹2,000 | ₹2,000 |
| Large Entity / Company | ₹4,000 | ₹4,000 |
* Fees are per design application. Representation preparation (drawings) involves additional professional charges. If objections are raised during examination, responding to objections is included in TaxClue's service.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
A design protects the visual appearance of an article — how it looks. A patent protects a functional invention — how it works. A trademark protects a brand identifier — a name, logo, or sign that distinguishes one trader's goods from another's. A product can attract all three simultaneously: the shape of a product may be registered as a design, the technology inside as a patent, and the brand name on it as a trademark. Design registration is specifically for the aesthetic, non-functional visual features of manufactured products — it fills the protection gap between pure function (patents) and pure creative expression (copyright).
Yes — under the Designs Act, 2000, a design must be new or original and must not have been disclosed to the public prior to the date of application. There is a limited exception: disclosure at an officially recognised international exhibition in India within 6 months preceding the application does not destroy novelty if the Convention country protection is claimed. Outside this narrow exception, any prior public disclosure — including online publication, trade show display, product launch, or marketing materials — destroys novelty and prevents registration. TaxClue strongly advises filing a design application before any public disclosure of the product. Unlike patents, there is no grace period for designs in India.
The Locarno Classification is an international system for classifying industrial designs by the product type to which they are applied. Established under the Locarno Agreement 1968, it has 32 classes and 219 subclasses covering virtually every category of manufactured product — from clothing (class 2) to packaging (class 9) to electronics (class 14). India uses the Locarno Classification in design applications. Each design application covers one class — if your design is applied to articles in multiple classes, separate applications must be filed for each. Correct classification is important because prior art searches and registration records are organised by class. TaxClue determines the correct Locarno class and subclass before filing — incorrect classification causes examination objections and delays.
Yes — design registration protects the appearance regardless of function. If an article has both functional and aesthetic features, the aesthetic features can be protected by design registration — the functional features are simply disclaimed in the application (excluded from the scope of protection). This is common in industrial products: a tool may have a distinctive ergonomic shape (registrable as a design) while its cutting mechanism is functional (not registrable as a design, but potentially as a patent). TaxClue drafts statements of novelty and disclaimers carefully — claiming the aesthetic features broadly while correctly identifying and disclaiming purely functional elements.
⚠️ Design Registration Mistakes to Avoid
- Publicly disclosing the design before filing — destroys novelty permanently, no grace period under Indian law
- Filing without professional-quality representations — blurry or incomplete drawings cause objections and may limit the scope of protection granted
- Applying the wrong Locarno class — causes classification objections and may invalidate the registration
- Not disclaiming functional features — registrar may reject the application if purely functional features are claimed as part of the design
- Missing the renewal deadline at 10 years — design lapses without restoration and protection is permanently lost
- Registering only one view — protection is limited to what is shown; comprehensive representations protect all angles
- Relying on copyright protection for mass-produced articles — copyright in design applied industrially (50+ copies) is lost; design registration becomes the only protection
Trusted by 10,000+ Clients Across India
4.9 / 5 average rating · Google Reviews · Verified clients
"We needed to protect the unique bottle shape of our new personal care product before launching at a trade fair. TaxClue filed the design application in 4 days — before we went public. The registration was granted 6 months later. Essential service."
"TaxClue filed our trademark objection reply with strong legal arguments and the mark was approved. Later they registered our copyright and our design. Having all IP in one place — with one team that knows our brand — is invaluable."
"Our furniture design was being copied by a competitor within 3 months of launch. TaxClue had already filed the design application at our insistence — so we had registration and could send a legal notice immediately. Competitor stopped within days."
"Our FER had 4 objections including a Section 3(d). TaxClue prepared a detailed comparative efficacy response with data from our trials. The examiner accepted our arguments — patent granted without a hearing."
"Registered our FSSAI central license and got the copyright for our training manual — all through TaxClue. Fast, professional, and they know exactly what's needed. No chasing for updates — they proactively kept us informed."
"Incorporated our company, trademarked our name, and registered our software copyright — all with TaxClue. Series A investor's legal due diligence found zero IP gaps. The team understands what investors look for."
Protect Every Aspect of Your Product
Your Product's Look Is an Asset — Register It Before Someone Copies It
Design copying happens quickly — especially after a product launch. A registered design gives you the right to stop imitators and claim damages from the moment of infringement. TaxClue files design applications before your product goes public — protecting the investment in your product's appearance.
🔒 Confidential · 4.9★ · Form 1 · Patent Office · All Industries · 10+5 Year Protection · Paris Convention Priority