The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has opened the official consultation on the future of the UK designs system, offering designers, design-led businesses, and manufacturers the chance to give their views on new opportunities, future frameworks and better regulation.

Protection of Intellectual Property is a key issue for the UK fashion and textiles industry, which relies on innovation and creativity, particularly in relation to its designs. The UK’s departure from the EU has resulted in the increased the cost and complexity of IP protection in the UK by leaving the EU-wide systems for the protection of trademarks and designs, but there is now an opportunity to shape an IP system for the future.

The IPO is seeking views on a range of issues, including the complexity of the UK designs system, novelty searching, issues relating disclosure of unregistered designs after exit, deferment, and whether changes are needed to the UK designs system to meet the challenges of AI and an increasingly digital environment.

The call for views will be open for 8 weeks and closes on 25 March 2022.

If you have already completed the previous survey, we would still urge you to complete the consultation to provide more detail. UKFT will be submitting a response on behalf of the industry and will organise a roundtable discussion with the IPO in the coming weeks to ensure our sector’s requirements are heard and understood.

Reviewing the designs framework: CALL FOR VIEWS