Designs

Designs or design patents, respectivel, are purely non-technical IP rights and serve the purpose of providing protection for a novel, visible outer appearance or shape of a product which must not be solely determined or caused by its technical function. Design patents are therefore a suitable option for the protection of products that are subject to frequent changes, rapid improvements, or typical fashion trends.

In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, a design patent is granted for a period of 5 years, extensions being possible up to a total of 25 years.

The procedures in connection with design applications are similar to those of trademark applications. We therefore offer the following services:

General consulting about design patent protection, duration, costs

Searching in local and international design patent registers

Drafting and filing Liechtenstein, Swiss, European and international (Hague Union) design patent applications

Monitoring design patent registrations

as well as

Enforcing design patent rights against third parties via infringement suits and/or cancellation suits