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Industrial design protection in India is governed by the [Designs Act 2000](https://ipindia.gov.in/designs.htm) and the Designs Rules 2001 (as amended through the Designs (Amendment) Rules 2014). A "design" under Section 2(d) means the features of shape, configuration, pattern, ornament, or composition of lines or colours applied to any article - whether two-dimensional or three-dimensional - by any industrial process or means, which in the finished article appeal to and are judged solely by the eye. Protection is for 10 years from the date of registration under Section 11, renewable for a further 5 years (total 15 years maximum). The Controller of Designs sits at the Patent Office, Kolkata. The application is filed in Form 1 with the prescribed fee (₹1,000 for natural persons/startups; ₹2,500 for small entities; ₹5,000 for others per Article) under Rule 13. Renewal is via Form 8 under Rule 19. The international route is via the [Hague System](https://www.wipo.int/hague/en/) (India acceded on 22 February 2007, effective 8 May 2007). I-Pro Solutions' design practice is led by registered Patent Agents (Patent Agents also file designs at the same Patent Office) and design-experienced IP Attorneys. We handle international design filings through the Hague System for export-oriented manufacturers.
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Prof. fee: ₹2,999 starts with
Govt. fee: At actuals / Statutory schedule
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Under Section 11 of the Designs Act 2000, design registration is valid for 10 years from the date of registration (which is the date of filing of the application). The registration can be renewed for a further 5 years by filing Form 8 under Rule 19 of the Designs Rules 2001 with the prescribed renewal fee before the expiry of the initial 10-year period. Maximum total term is 15 years, after which the design enters the public domain.
A patent under the Patents Act 1970 protects the functional, technical, or inventive aspect of an article - the underlying method, process, or apparatus. A design under the Designs Act 2000 protects only the visual appearance - shape, configuration, pattern, ornament, or composition of lines/colours. The same product can have both - e.g. a smartphone may have a design registration for its bezel shape and a patent for its camera technology. Designs are not subject to substantive examination for inventiveness - only novelty (Section 4) and originality (Section 2(g)).
Yes. Section 2(d) of the Designs Act 2000 expressly covers both two-dimensional and three-dimensional designs. Examples of registrable 2D designs include: textile prints, wallpaper patterns, packaging artwork, logo layouts applied to articles, and graphic user interface (GUI) designs. The test is whether the design 'appeals to and is judged solely by the eye' when applied to an article - i.e. it must be applied to an article of manufacture, not exist as a standalone artwork (which would be copyright).
Under Rule 13 of the Designs Rules 2001 (as amended by the 2014 amendment), Form 1 application fee is: ₹1,000 for natural persons and startups; ₹2,500 for small entities (per Article + per class of Locarno Classification); ₹5,000 for others (large entities, foreign applicants). Renewal under Form 8 is ₹2,000 / ₹5,000 / ₹10,000 respectively. The fee is payable per Article and per Locarno Class - so a multi-class application for the same Article multiplies the fee.
Yes. India acceded to the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs on 22 February 2007 (effective 8 May 2007). An Indian applicant can file a single international design application through WIPO (Geneva) designating any of the 75+ Hague contracting parties, paying one fee in Swiss Francs. The international registration is dependent on the Indian base application for 6 months. India's filing office for Hague applications is the Patent Office, Kolkata.