Protection Abroad

In the past, an international design registration was the only possibility to obtain protection in several states at the same time by means of one single and centralized procedure. Since 1998, it is possible to obtain a uniform design registration for all member states of the European Union by means of a European design registration.

In March 2002, the European Union introduced another protection for designs that have not been registered. Every designed product that is capable of being protected and that is published and made accessible to experts in the European Union enjoys protection against verifiable imitation for a period of maximum three years from the publication date.

After the registration of a design by OHIM (Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market) in Alicante (Spain), the design is protected for a period of time of five years from the application date. The holder of the design can renew the period of protection one or several times for a time period of five years up to 25 years from application date.

We help you to find your best way for obtaining design protection and we lead you through the application procedure until the registration of your design. We also help you to assert your rights against third parties.