Design guides
4 expert-reviewed guides on design
A registered design protects how a product looks: its shape, configuration, pattern, ornamentation, or the composition of its lines and colours. It does not protect how the product works, which is the job of a patent. For many Indian manufacturers, design registration is one of the most practical protections available, because what a competitor copies first is often the look of a product, not its mechanism.
Timing matters here more than almost anywhere else in IP. A design has to be new on the day you file, so showing it at a trade fair, listing it online or sending out a catalogue before filing can cost you the right to register it. The guides on this page are written by MYCrave's team for product owners, MSMEs, designers and students who want to get that order right.
If you are new to the subject, start with Design Registration in India: Complete Guide for Product Owners, which covers what qualifies, the filing process and the documents you need. Many applications run into trouble over the drawings, so How to Prepare Design Application Drawings in India explains which views to file, how to word the statement of novelty and when to add disclaimers. If a competitor has already copied your product, Someone Copied Your Product Design in India: What You Can Actually Do sets out your options with and without a registration, and what to do in the first few days.
4 Design guides
How to Prepare Design Application Drawings in India: Views, Disclaimers and Rule 14
Which views to file, what to remove or disclaim, how to word the novelty statement and answer objections, with a pre-filing checklist for Indian design drawings.
Read the guideSomeone Copied Your Product Design in India: What You Can Actually Do
Found a copy of your product on a marketplace? Your options under Section 22 of the Designs Act, what passing off gets you, and why India has no grace period.
Read the guideDesign Registration in India: Complete Guide for Product Owners
Design registration in India: what it protects, the filing process, representations and statement of novelty, and why timing is critical.
Read the guideStep-by-Step Guide to the Design Patent Process
Securing a design patent protects the ornamental appearance of a product. Here is the process end to end, from prior-design search to grant and enforcement.
Read the guideFrequently asked questions
What does design registration protect in India?
It protects the visual appearance of a product: its shape, configuration, pattern, ornamentation or composition of lines and colours, judged by the eye. It does not protect how the product works, which is a matter for patents. Products with both a new mechanism and a distinctive look may need both.
Can I register a design after I have launched the product?
Generally no. A design must be new on the date you file, and publishing, selling or showing it beforehand usually destroys that, because India has no grace period for designs. If the product has already launched, take advice quickly, and file for the next model before it is shown in public.
Can I act against a copy of my product if my design is not registered?
Not through a design action, because India has no unregistered design right. You may still have other routes, such as passing off, or contract and confidentiality claims if the copier was your supplier or employee. These routes are narrower than an action on a registered design, so it is worth registering new designs before launch.