A registered design protects the visual appearance of a product — its shape, configuration, surface pattern, ornamentation or composition of lines and colours. It protects how a product looks, not how it works.
This is the protection most often confused with a patent, and the distinction is the whole point: if a competitor copies your product’s mechanism, that is a patent matter; if they copy its distinctive appearance while using entirely different internals, only a registered design stops them.
Who this service is for?
Product & industrial designers
Manufacturing companies
Consumer goods brands
Furniture & lighting makers
Textile & apparel businesses
Packaging-led brands
Why it matters?
Appearance drives purchasing decisions, and appearance is the easiest thing to copy. A registered design gives you a clear, enforceable right against lookalike products — far quicker and cheaper to enforce than arguing passing-off without a registration.
Design registration is also fast relative to patents and comparatively inexpensive, which makes it one of the highest-return IP filings available to a product business. MYCrave files these at scale — we are among India’s leading design filers with roughly 5% market share, which means this is genuinely core work for us rather than a sideline.
What qualifies
The design must be new or original, not previously published or publicly disclosed anywhere, and must appeal to and be judged solely by the eye. It must be applied to an article by an industrial process. What is excluded: anything purely functional (where the shape is dictated entirely by the function it must perform), mere mechanical devices, trademarks and artistic works as such. Critically, public disclosure before filing destroys novelty — so file before the product launch, the exhibition or the catalogue release, not after.
What you get?
Design search to check novelty against the register
Advice on the correct Locarno classification for the article
Coordination and preparation of design representations from the required views
Preparation of the statement of novelty — the wording that defines your protection
Filing with the Design Office and official fee handling
Response to examination objections
Registration certificate follow-through
Renewal management and infringement advisory
The process, step by step
Consultation
We assess the design, confirm it has not been disclosed publicly, and check it is design subject matter rather than a patent matter.
Design search
Search of registered designs to assess novelty and identify conflicts.
Classification
The article is classified under the Locarno system — this defines the scope of your registration.
Representations & statement of novelty
Drawings or photographs from the prescribed views are prepared, along with the statement defining exactly what is new. This wording determines what you can enforce.
Filing
Application filed with the Design Office; you receive the application number and filing date.
Examination
The office examines novelty and formal requirements and may raise objections.
Objection response
We reply to objections with arguments and, where needed, amended representations.
Registration & renewal
The certificate issues. Registration runs an initial term and is extendable on renewal — we calendar it.
Documents & information required
Applicant details with ID / incorporation proof
Clear representations of the design — multiple prescribed views (front, back, sides, top, bottom, perspective)
Name of the article to which the design is applied
Statement of novelty (we draft this)
Confirmation that the design has not been published or disclosed anywhere
Startup / MSME certificate where applicable, for reduced fees
Power of Attorney — we prepare this for signature
How long it takes
⚡ MYCrave's part — fast and in our control
Design search: typically 2–3 working days
Representation review & statement of novelty: 2–4 working days
Filing: 1–2 working days once documents are signed
Objection response: typically 3–5 working days
🏛 Government's part — statutory, not in anyone's control
Design registration is generally among the faster IP routes in India compared with patents
Examination timelines vary with Design Office workload
Your filing date — and therefore your priority — is secured immediately on filing
Design filing is among the most affordable IP protection available, and official fees are further reduced for individuals, startups and small entities. Professional fees depend on how many designs and how much representation preparation is needed.
What a design matter costs
We separate every component so you can see exactly what is statutory and what is our charge. Nothing below is an estimate of your matter — it is the structure a quote is built from.
Government fee
Paid to the registry
Set by statute, not by us, and payable to the Government of India. The amount depends on your applicant category and on number of designs, the Locarno class applied for and the applicant category, plus any objection reply or extension stages.
Individuals, DPIIT-recognised startups, small entities and educational institutions pay substantially reduced official fees — often a fraction of the large-entity rate. We confirm which category applies to you before filing.
Professional fee
Our charge for the work
Quoted against a written scope before we begin, so you know what is included. Scope varies genuinely by matter, which is why we quote after a short consultation rather than publishing a single number.
Optional stages
Only if you instruct them
Expedited examination, hearings, objection replies, oppositions, additional searches and international filing are quoted separately and incurred only on your instruction.
Taxes
Applied as required by law
Shown as a separate line on every invoice rather than folded into the professional fee.
Official fee schedules are revised periodically. This page describes the fee structure as at 09 August 2026; the applicable amounts are confirmed in writing before filing. Our engagement terms set out fees, cancellation and refunds in full.
Why work with MYCrave
This is our specialist strength: MYCrave is among India’s leading industrial design filers with roughly 5% market share — few firms in the country file designs at this volume.
The statement of novelty is where cases are won: It defines what you can actually enforce. We draft it deliberately, not as boilerplate.
Representation quality: Most design objections trace back to inadequate or inconsistent views. We get the drawings right before filing.
A commercialization route: Registered designs can be licensed or sold through IPBANK INDIA — where a client released 106 registered designs for public use in a landmark open-innovation move.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a design registration and a patent?
A patent protects how something works; a design registration protects how it looks. A product with a novel mechanism and a distinctive appearance often needs both — they are complementary, not alternatives.
How long does design protection last?
An initial registration term that is extendable by renewal, giving a total protection period substantially shorter than a patent’s 20 years but far cheaper and faster to obtain.
I already launched the product. Can I still register the design?
This is the most common and most costly mistake. Prior public disclosure generally destroys novelty. Speak to us immediately — timing determines whether anything is salvageable, and the answer depends on precisely when and how the disclosure happened.
Can I register several variants of the same product?
Yes, and often you should. Each distinct design is generally a separate application. For product ranges we build a filing strategy that protects the commercially significant variants first.
Does design registration cover the product’s function?
No. Purely functional features — where the shape is dictated entirely by what the product must do — are excluded. If function is what you need protected, that is a patent.
What are the representations and why do they matter so much?
They are the drawings or photographs showing your design from the prescribed views. They define the scope of protection — the design you can enforce is the design shown. Inconsistent or unclear views are the leading cause of objections.
What is a statement of novelty?
A short statement identifying precisely what is new about your design — the shape, the surface pattern, the configuration, or a combination. It frames your protection, so its wording is a strategic decision.
Can I register the design of packaging?
Yes. Distinctive containers, bottles and packaging are commonly registered designs, and often trademarked as well when they become brand identifiers.
Does an Indian design registration protect me abroad?
No — design rights are territorial and must be sought in each jurisdiction. If exports are planned, we sequence international filings against your Indian filing date.
What can I do if someone copies my registered design?
A registration gives you a direct infringement action, which is markedly stronger and faster than arguing passing-off without one. Remedies include injunctions and damages.
Are textile and fabric patterns registrable?
Yes — surface patterns applied to textiles are a well-established category of registered design.
Can a registered design be sold or licensed?
Yes. Designs are assignable and licensable assets, which is exactly what IPBANK INDIA exists to facilitate.
Professional fees below. Government fees are payable separately to the registry and depend on your applicant category — we always show them apart so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
Design
Design Registration — you have the design
Rs. 3,999professional fee
+ Rs. 1,000 government fee
You already have finished drawings or images. We check, prepare and file them.
Novelty check against the Designs Register
Class selection under the Locarno classification
Preparation of the representation sheets
Filing with the Design Office
Handling of examination objections
Government fee shown for an individual, startup or small entity, per application per class. Other applicants: Rs. 4,000. We confirm the exact figure in writing before filing.
You have an idea, not a design. Our experts work out what is protectable and by which right.
Consultation with a registered patent agent
Assessment of whether design, patent or both is the right route
Prior art and prior design search
Drawings or specification prepared as required
Filing strategy across the rights that apply
Starting fee. Government fees depend on the route chosen and are quoted before filing. Final professional fee is confirmed in writing after the first consultation.
Fees current as of the date shown on this page. Government fees are set by the Indian Patent Office and the Trade Marks Registry and may change. We confirm the exact figure in writing before any filing.
Design class finder
Find the right Locarno class for your design
Industrial designs in India are classified under the Locarno system: 32 classes covering the kind of article the design is applied to. A design registration protects appearance — shape, configuration, pattern or ornamentation — and is filed per article per class.
32 classes
164 subclasses
Search by what you sell
Find the right Locarno class for your design
32 classes with subclasses · search by what you sell
Not happy with something? We keep a dedicated complaint-handling team,
separate from the people delivering your matter. Every complaint gets a reference number
and an independent review. Raise a complaint or send feedback.
