Industrial Designs protect the aesthetic or ornamental aspects of a product, encompassing its visual appearance, shape, configuration, or decoration. Protecting them ensures that the visual appeal of your design remains exclusive to you and your brand.
Time to Acquire:
1 to 4 months
Duration of Protection:
20 years
Cost:
Minimum of AED 1,000, excluding professional fees.
Examples of Industrial Designs:
Shapes of devices, styles of furniture, ornaments on jewelry, and more.
Industrial Designs are about protecting how something looks – its shape, style, or decorations - given it has a new and original configuration and satisfies certain conditions and requirements. This protection stops others from copying or using the design without permission, encouraging creativity and innovation in different industries.
Keep in mind that applying through the MoEc will give protection in the UAE only. If you wish to be protected in other countries or regions, you will need to apply through their IP offices.
To apply for an Industrial Design you must be a UAE citizen or have residency status in the UAE. If you are applying from outside the UAE, a local IP Attorney may apply on your behalf.
Before applying, make sure to have the right confidentiality measures in place so that your design doesn't get disclosed to the public. Failing to do so may lead to your application being rejected or challenged by a third party at a later date for lacking novelty due to prior disclosure.
Industrial designs protect the unique 2D and 3D shape and ornamental designs of lab grown diamonds. This grants ownership and ability to license out the visual look and feel that makes products stand out in the market.
Before applying, make sure to have the right confidentiality measures in place so that your design doesn't get released to the public. Failing to do so may lead to your application being rejected or challenged by a third party at a later date for the design lacking novelty due to your prior disclosure.
Do You Have a Visually Unique and Functional Product That Qualifies for an Industrial Design?
In the UAE, there are specific requirements for a product to be eligible for an Industrial Design. It's important to check if your design meets these conditions. An IP Attorney can assist you in evaluating this.
Novelty:
The design must be new and have an individual character. This means it shouldn’t resemble any existing designs and must possess distinctive features.
Industrial Application:
The design should be suitable for industrial application, meaning it can be mass-produced.
Sufficiency of Disclosure:
The design must be clearly represented through drawings from different perspectives.
Benefits of Registering an Industrial Design
Exclusive Rights
As an Industrial Design owner, you have the exclusive right to stop third parties from using the look and feel of your design for exploitation, production, and sale in the UAE without your permission.
Market Differentiation
An Industrial Design sets your product apart, enhancing its visual appeal and helping it stand out in the market. This adds value to your brand and product, leading to increased sales and customer recognition.
Licensing and Royalties
You can commercialize the Industrial Designs in the form of licensing and royalties, where conditions can be set for its use. This can help you generate financial income. Industrial Design can also be traded outright for the right fee.
Ideas as Strategic Assets
Industrial Designs are valuable assets that can contribute to the overall Intellectual Property portfolio of a business. They can enhance a company's reputation, help with marketing and facilitate the search for investors.
Examples of Industrial Designs
Industrial Designs cover the shape and configuration of your products. For instance:
Examples of Industrial Designs
Industrial Designs cover the shape and configuration of your products. For instance:
Gadgets
Visual look of smartphones, its distinctive shape, layout of buttons and overall appearance.
How the process of obtaining a Industrial Designs unfolds:
Getting an Industrial Design in the UAE follows clear steps. Here's a guide of key stages to help turn your unique idea into a legally protected invention:
