While utility patents protect how an invention works, design patents protect how it looks. The visual appearance of a product — its shape, configuration, ornamentation, and surface design — can be protected under India’s Designs Act, 2000. For products where the visual design is a key differentiator, design registration provides powerful protection against copying.
In India, design protection is obtained through registration under the Designs Act, 2000. A registered design gives the owner exclusive rights to use the registered design for a period of 10 years (extendable by 5 years) in respect of the article to which it is applied. Unlike utility patents, registered designs do not protect function — they protect the visual features of a product.
Any original feature of shape, configuration, pattern, ornament, or composition of lines or colours applied to an article by an industrial process can be registered as a design — provided it is new, original, and not disclosed publicly before the application date. Common examples include:
A product can be protected by both a utility patent (protecting its technical function) and a design registration (protecting its visual appearance). This dual protection strategy is common in consumer electronics, automotive, and consumer goods — where both how a product works and how it looks are commercially valuable.
