On February 25, the United Kingdom (UK) Intellectual Property Office (IPO) launched a survey to collect feedback on potential changes to the UK’s design protection framework. The goal is to ensure that the system remains relevant, accessible, and effective in supporting designers and businesses across various industries. This initiative follows a previous call for views in 2022, with insights from the survey informing a formal consultation later in 2025.

The survey will remain open until April 1, and responses will help shape future policy decisions regarding intellectual property (IP) protections for designs.

A key focus of the survey is to evaluate five core principles for an improved design protection system:

1. Cost – Ensuring that the system is affordable and provides good value for money.
2. Validity – Ensuring clarity on what constitutes a valid design and the strength of associated IP rights.
3. Speed – Making design protection quicker to obtain and enforce.
4. Choice – Providing a flexible system that accommodates different needs.
5. Simplicity – Reducing complexity in accessing and managing design protections.

Beyond these principles, the survey also examines the scope of what should be legally protected as a “design.” Currently, UK IP law defines a design more narrowly than its common usage, protecting only the visual appearance of a product or its elements that are visible in normal use. This raises concerns about whether the current framework adequately meets the needs of designers, consumers, and businesses, particularly in an increasingly digital landscape.

Chris Mills, UKIPO’s director of rights policy, emphasized the importance of public participation in shaping the future of design protection. He encouraged a wide variety of stakeholders, including designers, businesses of all sizes, legal professionals, trade bodies, and other interested parties, regardless of their level of IP expertise, to share their insights and experiences.

Despite sentiments of weariness following the recent request for feedback in 2022, the UKIPO emphasizes the importance of this survey in shaping a more effective and accessible design protection framework. The agency seeks to address ongoing concerns and adapt the system to better serve the needs of designers and businesses in the evolving creative landscape. The feedback gathered will help modernize the UK’s design framework and ensure it supports innovation, economic growth, and competitiveness in global markets.

By engaging with this process, participants can contribute to shaping a design protection system that is more accessible, efficient, and adaptable to emerging industry needs. With results from the survey, the UKIPO aims to create a legal framework that keeps pace with technological advancements and evolving business practices while safeguarding designers’ rights.