The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has launched a new survey to gather views on the future of the UK designs system
The survey is open to designers, businesses, legal professionals, and anyone with an interest in design.
The UK design sector contributed £97.4 billion to the economy in 2019, with over 80,000 design businesses operating in 2021 – 92% of which were micro businesses. The IPO is reviewing the design protection system to ensure it supports innovation, investment, and business growth.
To guide this work, the IPO has identified five key principles for the system
- cost – offering value for money
- validity – ensuring clarity on design rights
- speed – making protection quick and efficient
- choice – providing flexibility for designers
- simplicity – keeping the system easy to use
The survey aims to understand which principles matter most to users and whether the legal definition of a design meets the needs of modern businesses and consumers.
The IPO encourages businesses of all sizes, trade bodies, and legal professionals to take part. Feedback will help shape potential changes to the system, which will be consulted on later this year.
The survey is open until 1 April 2025.
Take the survey and have your say on the future of UK design protection.
First published 28 February 2025
