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Protect your design

A design registration protects the appearance of your product, but not its function. A design protection gives you the exclusive right to exploit the design commercially.

The Swedish Intellectual Property Office (Patent- och registreringsverket, PRV) grants patents for Sweden, but is also an international patent office. You can contact the Swedish Intellectual Property Office when you want to apply for a Swedish patent, and when you want to protect your invention in other countries by either an international application (PCT) or European application.

Do you want to apply for a design registration for your product?

Do this:

  1. Your design must be new and different from previously known or registered designs. Find out if your design or a similar design already exists in PRV's databases or registers.
    Investigate the possibility of registering your design
  2. Find out what it will cost.
    Fees for design applications - PRV
  3. Do a design application on PRV's website
  4. Do you also need international protection? In many cases, it may be appropriate to first apply for design protection in Sweden, in order to later, within the framework of the priority period, expand the area of protection to the entire EU.
    Applying for design registration outside Sweden on PRV's website

Protection is not always necessary

There are some instances where protection is not necessarily the best solution. If you have created something that has a very short life span, you may not need to apply for design protection, because the competitors will not have time to plagiarise your design during the short time the product is in demand.

Design protection and design patent

Two terms for the same thing. The Swedish Intellectual Property Office, usually uses the term design protection when describing and providing information. Legal texts use the term “design patent”. Whatever term is used, they now stand for the same thing, meaning the protection of the appearance of a product.

When your design has been registered

Monitoring your design

When you have registered your design, it is your responsibility to monitor your right(s).

Monitoring your design at the Swedish Intellectual Property Office

Unauthorized use - infringement

If someone uses your invention, design, trademark, or copyright without permission, the person is infringing. You must also make sure not to infringe on the rights of others.

Unauthorized use – infringement at the Swedish Intellectual Property Office

Renewals and alterations

Remember to renew your design registration.

Design protection is valid for a maximum of 25 years. The registration is valid for one or more five-year periods, counted from the date that you filed your application. When you submit your application, you can state how many periods you would like your registration to be valid for. Alternatively, you can renew your design protection at the end of each five-year period.

Renewals and alterations at the Swedish Intellectual Property Office

Strategy for intangible assets

Strategy for intangible assets may sound complicated. But a good strategy shows the importance of the intangible assets for the company's business and how they are intended to be used and protected.

Strategy for intangible assets at the Swedish Intellectual Property Office

Valuation of intangible assets

Intangible assets often account for a very large part of a company's value. It is therefore important to evaluate them.

Valuation of intangible assets at the Swedish Intellectual Property Office

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