Registered designs - overview
A registered design is a limited-term monopoly granted
by the state to the owner of a new design intended to be industrially
applied to an article so that the registration owner (proprietor) has the
right to prevent others exploiting the design in respect of such
articles.
The design can be registered only if it satisfies
certain conditions as to registrability.
If the proprietor does not sufficiently exploit their
design, it may in some circumstances be possible for others to obtain
compulsory licences.
