Read more about what design protection is, why you should register the appearance of your product and search in our databases to see what is already registered.
Here, you can apply for design protection and get guidance in how.
Renew, change or transfer. Your design registration is an asset you need to take care of. Here, we explain how.
Images that show your design are important.
See our image guideDo your design application here.
To Swedish design applicationFAQ
About design protection
You can register an appearance of a product or a part of a product.
You cannot register an idea or a technical function of a product.
The appearance must be new and the overall impression must differ from previously known designs.
It is your responsibility to investigate what is on the market. In the design databases, you can also examine what is already registered.
If you have made the product’s appearance public before you apply for design registration, you have 12 months to file an application with us. This is known as the grace period.
You can register an appearance of a product or a part of a product.
You cannot register an idea or a technical function of a product.
The appearance must be new and the overall impression must differ from previously known designs.
It is your responsibility to investigate what is on the market. In the design databases, you can also examine what is already registered.
If you have made the product’s appearance public before you apply for design registration, you have 12 months to file an application with us. This is known as the grace period.
About the design application
Your design application must contain images which clearly show the product’s appearance because the protection is based on these images.
The complete appearance must be shown and it can therefore be good to send in several images from different views. Clearer images will improve the quality of your registration.
The images may not contain descriptive texts or measurements.
It is important that you have finished designing your product before you apply. Once the application is filed, you cannot change the appearance of the design or add another design.
Today, it takes around 12-14 weeks.
If you want to register your design in several countries, you can begin by filing an application in Sweden and apply further with priority.
From the date you filed your application in Sweden, you have six months to apply for the same design in other countries. Your registration in the new country is then valid from the application date in Sweden.
Your Swedish application need not be registered before you continue applying in more countries.
Your design application must contain images which clearly show the product’s appearance because the protection is based on these images.
The complete appearance must be shown and it can therefore be good to send in several images from different views. Clearer images will improve the quality of your registration.
The images may not contain descriptive texts or measurements.
It is important that you have finished designing your product before you apply. Once the application is filed, you cannot change the appearance of the design or add another design.
Today, it takes around 12-14 weeks.
If you want to register your design in several countries, you can begin by filing an application in Sweden and apply further with priority.
From the date you filed your application in Sweden, you have six months to apply for the same design in other countries. Your registration in the new country is then valid from the application date in Sweden.
Your Swedish application need not be registered before you continue applying in more countries.
About a registered design
You can acquire exclusive rights to your design for up to 25 years.
A design registration is valid for five years from the application date. When you apply for the first time, you can opt to apply and pay for several five-year periods directly.
In the Swedish Design Database, you can see how long your registration is valid.
You can restrict your registration, but not expand it.
Just like any other property, you can sell your design registration. The legal term for such a change of ownership is transfer. By selling your design registration, you relinquish all rights to the design, except for being named as the designer.
You can also opt to give another person or a company a right to use all or parts of your registered design for payment through a licensing agreement. The licence can be valid for a certain country or certain geographic areas.
You can acquire exclusive rights to your design for up to 25 years.
A design registration is valid for five years from the application date. When you apply for the first time, you can opt to apply and pay for several five-year periods directly.
In the Swedish Design Database, you can see how long your registration is valid.
You can restrict your registration, but not expand it.
Just like any other property, you can sell your design registration. The legal term for such a change of ownership is transfer. By selling your design registration, you relinquish all rights to the design, except for being named as the designer.
You can also opt to give another person or a company a right to use all or parts of your registered design for payment through a licensing agreement. The licence can be valid for a certain country or certain geographic areas.
About design protection
You can register an appearance of a product or a part of a product.
You cannot register an idea or a technical function of a product.
The appearance must be new and the overall impression must differ from previously known designs.
It is your responsibility to investigate what is on the market. In the design databases, you can also examine what is already registered.
If you have made the product’s appearance public before you apply for design registration, you have 12 months to file an application with us. This is known as the grace period.
You can register an appearance of a product or a part of a product.
You cannot register an idea or a technical function of a product.
The appearance must be new and the overall impression must differ from previously known designs.
It is your responsibility to investigate what is on the market. In the design databases, you can also examine what is already registered.
If you have made the product’s appearance public before you apply for design registration, you have 12 months to file an application with us. This is known as the grace period.
About the design application
Your design application must contain images which clearly show the product’s appearance because the protection is based on these images.
The complete appearance must be shown and it can therefore be good to send in several images from different views. Clearer images will improve the quality of your registration.
The images may not contain descriptive texts or measurements.
It is important that you have finished designing your product before you apply. Once the application is filed, you cannot change the appearance of the design or add another design.
Today, it takes around 12-14 weeks.
If you want to register your design in several countries, you can begin by filing an application in Sweden and apply further with priority.
From the date you filed your application in Sweden, you have six months to apply for the same design in other countries. Your registration in the new country is then valid from the application date in Sweden.
Your Swedish application need not be registered before you continue applying in more countries.
Your design application must contain images which clearly show the product’s appearance because the protection is based on these images.
The complete appearance must be shown and it can therefore be good to send in several images from different views. Clearer images will improve the quality of your registration.
The images may not contain descriptive texts or measurements.
It is important that you have finished designing your product before you apply. Once the application is filed, you cannot change the appearance of the design or add another design.
Today, it takes around 12-14 weeks.
If you want to register your design in several countries, you can begin by filing an application in Sweden and apply further with priority.
From the date you filed your application in Sweden, you have six months to apply for the same design in other countries. Your registration in the new country is then valid from the application date in Sweden.
Your Swedish application need not be registered before you continue applying in more countries.
About a registered design
You can acquire exclusive rights to your design for up to 25 years.
A design registration is valid for five years from the application date. When you apply for the first time, you can opt to apply and pay for several five-year periods directly.
In the Swedish Design Database, you can see how long your registration is valid.
You can restrict your registration, but not expand it.
Just like any other property, you can sell your design registration. The legal term for such a change of ownership is transfer. By selling your design registration, you relinquish all rights to the design, except for being named as the designer.
You can also opt to give another person or a company a right to use all or parts of your registered design for payment through a licensing agreement. The licence can be valid for a certain country or certain geographic areas.
You can acquire exclusive rights to your design for up to 25 years.
A design registration is valid for five years from the application date. When you apply for the first time, you can opt to apply and pay for several five-year periods directly.
In the Swedish Design Database, you can see how long your registration is valid.
You can restrict your registration, but not expand it.
Just like any other property, you can sell your design registration. The legal term for such a change of ownership is transfer. By selling your design registration, you relinquish all rights to the design, except for being named as the designer.
You can also opt to give another person or a company a right to use all or parts of your registered design for payment through a licensing agreement. The licence can be valid for a certain country or certain geographic areas.