UK Government: reviewing the designs framework - call for views!

In its announcement on 25 January 2022, the UK Government writes: “Now that the UK has left the European Union (EU), we have new opportunities to ensure the UK designs framework better encourages creativity and innovation. We want creative businesses and entrepreneurs to make the most from this new flexibility and to give the UK a competitive edge. To ensure our legal framework is as competitive, up to date, and as flexible as possible, we are conducting a call for views of how the UK protects designs.”

In particular, the government asks whether the UK design law system is too complex and whether it is adaptable to new technologies and accessible to its users. It has called for evidence-based responses where possible.

The D Young & Co design team is coordinating its own response to the call for views. We believe the consultation offers an extremely valuable opportunity to influence the direction and effectiveness of the future UK design regime. We particularly welcome efforts to make the system more accessible to its users and increase participation of those who could be benefiting from the protection that design rights offer.

The call for views (aimed primarily at IP experts) will run for eight weeks, closing on 25 March 2022. The survey (aimed at people who do not necessarily consider themselves to be IP experts but who have an interest in designs and how designs IP is protected) will be open for responses until 07 February 2022.