Protect aesthetics
Design protection.
Register a design, protect what makes you stand out.
Want to protect a product design and file a design application, but aren’t sure whether your design is eligible for protection? Whether you’re a startup, SME, mid-tier company, or corporation: We can examine the protection options available and assist you with your application.
A design often determines market success. A registered design secures exclusivity in the market, strengthens your position, and creates legal clarity—for sales and marketing, protection against imitation, and licensing.
Prefer to protect a technical invention or a trademark?
Click here for patent and utility model or trademark protection.
We are happy to advise you on the right protection.
What is a
design patent?
Registered Designs protect the visual appearance of a product.
This includes:
- shape, color, outline, texture, material surfaces,
- for example, packaging design, user interfaces, housing parts, operating elements
- entire products or functional design elements, also in technical applications
Registering a design
Requirements: In order to register a design, the design must be new and have its own “individual character”—in other words, it must be different from designs that are already out there, “the design corpus”.
Important: The design protects the appearance, not the function. If both are to be protected, a combination with patent protection may be prudent.
Our approach:
Design protection, done strategically
Whether you already have a finished product design or are in the design process—when it comes to registering your design, we’ll meet you right where you are and develop a forward-looking protection strategy.
Before registering, we will review the situation with you:
- Is the design new and distinctive?
- What is the commercially relevant design element?
- Is a national, European, or international application advisable?
- How can protection be combined strategically with other IP rights?
Process: Registering a design
1. Design evaluation
& search
We look at protectability, evaluate designs that are already out there, and identify potential for differentiation.
2. Preparation
& filing
We prepare your application for filing at the DPMA or EUIPO—ensuring professional presentation and accurate classification.
3. Registration
& protection
Your design can be registered just a few weeks after filing—faster than is the case with a patent. Protection applies from the date of registration.
4. Defense
& monitoring
We will keep an eye on your competition and help you enforce your rights— including internationally through our partners.
Design protection FAQs
Why
FLACH BAUER & PARTNER?
- A team with a technical and creative mindset
- Experience in strategic IP combinations (design, trademark, patent)
- Clear recommendations, clear communication
- Regional proximity, international experience
Contact.
Register a design?
We are the partner for you!
Want to register your design and are looking for an experienced partner to protect the design of your innovation? We will support you from the initial idea through to registration—strategically, ensuring legal compliance, and providing technical expertise.
Get in touch now