5 December

Review of Australian Designs System – Options Paper Released

On 4 December 2014, the Advisory Council on Intellectual Property (ACIP) released an options paper concerning the review of the Australian Designs System. The registered designs system in Australia is concerned with protecting the visual appearance of a manufactured product and has not been reviewed since the commencement of the Designs Act in 2003. 

 

ACIP’s options paper has taken into account public responses to the issues paper it released in late 2013 (see Arts Law’s response) and suggests three potential options for further development of the designs law in Australia.  Arts Law will be reviewing these three options and providing a submission to ACIP in the New Year. Submissions close 23 January 2015.

 

For more information about how designs law can protect your work see Arts Law’s “Protecting your designs” information sheet and the Australian Copyright Council's “Designs for Functional Articles” information sheet.