“Design” means the appearance of the whole or a part of a product resulting from the features of, in particular, the lines, contours, colour, shape, texture or materials of the product itself or its ornamentation.

A registered design is a form of ‘industrial property’, which can be assigned, transferred, licensed or used by the owner. Design protection is territorial; in effect a design registered in Ireland is only valid in Ireland. Some aspects of the “design” may be protected by copyright.

Designs that relate to how a product functions or for parts that in normal use are not visible, or designs that are contrary to public policy or to accepted principles of morality or which constitute an infringement of a copyright work may not be registered.