Consultation on changes to the UK designs framework

Overview

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights. Our mission is to help people and businesses grow the UK economy by providing an IP system that encourages investment in creativity and innovation.   

The designs sector is an economically important one and, according to a Design Council report contributed £97.4 billion GVA to the UK economy in 2019, equivalent to 4.9% total GVA. In 2021 there were 80,665 design businesses in the UK of which 92% were microbusinesses (<9 employees).

To make sure that the regime is fit for the future and supports the designs sector, the government is reviewing the UK designs system. A call for views was carried out in 2022, which asked users about opportunities to improve the designs system in the UK and invited views to help inform future government proposals. A designs survey was published alongside the call for views, to help us understand how well non-IP experts understand the UK design protection system. The government response  set out areas for further consideration and committed to seek stakeholder views on options by consultation.  A further survey was published in February 2025 aimed at designers, design businesses, legal professionals and anyone with an interest in designs. The survey sought views on the overarching principles which should shape the future of the UK designs system. A report summarising responses is being published alongside this consultation (annex 1). Survey responses have informed this consultation.  

It is clear from the responses received from stakeholders that the complexity of the UK designs system causes problems for users, in particular small businesses. Although there is evidence that they are aware of IP, many do not have the knowledge to protect their intellectual assets and unlock the value of them. We are also aware that some applicants are abusing the system and seeking to register designs for well-known products, or products which don’t belong to them. In addition, there are a number of aspects of design law which would benefit from simplification, consolidation and streamlining to make it easier for designers to protect their work.

This consultation seeks to address these issues and asks interested parties for their views on a wide-range of matters with the overarching aim of improving the UK designs system. They are: 

• proposals to improve the registered designs system

• proposals to simplify the unregistered designs system 

• options to address changes in how disclosures of supplementary unregistered designs are recognised following the UK’s departure from the EU 

• enforcement issues, including a call for evidence in relation criminal sanctions for design infringement, and inclusion of registered designs in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court small claims track 

• a number of smaller changes which will simplify and streamline the design protection system for users 

How to engage with this consultation 

The consultation is an opportunity for anyone with an interest in these issues to share views on the proposals. Please feel free to answer only the questions relevant to you. You can save your responses and return to the questions at any time. You may find it helpful to refer to the IPO’s guide to evidence for policy.

Next Steps  

After this consultation closes the government will assess responses. We will use the information we receive to help design and deliver the best possible policy and legislative outcomes to achieve the aims and objectives set out in this consultation. The government’s response to the consultation will set out next steps and will be published on GOV.UK.  

Data protection and confidentiality 

A summary of responses to this consultation will be published on GOV.UK. The government considers it important in the interests of transparency that the public can see who has responded to government consultation and what their views are. 

Please note that your response, including your name and organisation may be made public in accordance with the access to information regimes. These are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). 

Additionally, information provided in response to this consultation, including personal information or commercially sensitive information, may be made available to the public on request in accordance with the requirements of FOIA. 

If you wish to highlight that information is confidential or sensitive please advise us in writing when you provide your response and it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information we will take full account of your explanation but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances.  An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding the department.

If you wish to highlight that information is confidential or sensitive, please advise us in writing when you provide your response. If there is a request to make any confidential information publicly available, we will consider the request according to the appropriate legislation. We will treat each request individually and in line with any request to maintain confidentiality. 

The government may also publish consultation responses in response to any FOIA requests on GOV.UK. Please read the privacy statement and privacy notice for consultations for more information.

Use of AI analysis tools 

The IPO may share consultation responses with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) who may carry out the analysis of consultation responses on behalf of the IPO and who may use an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to help assess consultation responses.  

The IPO or DSIT will take steps to remove personal data from the consultation responses before using an artificial intelligence tool.  This means that the data provided to the AI tool will not be able to identify any individual from your consultation response.  The AI tool processes data securely and does not copy or share data. The data will only be accessed and used by those authorised to do so.  

The AI tool identifies themes present in the responses. The draft themes are reviewed and agreed by a policy team before the tool then maps responses to the themes. The resulting mapped responses produce an analysis dashboard which is then used by policy teams to analyse the consultation. DSIT and IPO will take steps to check for accuracy and identify and reduce any possible bias.