Design Registration vs Patent Registration

🔹 1. Design Registration (under Designs Act, 2000)

Purpose:
Protects the visual appearance of a product – shape, configuration, pattern, or ornamentation.

What it protects:
Only the external design or aesthetic look of a product, not how it works.

Examples:

• Unique shape of a bottle
• Design pattern on a bag
• Look of a fan or mobile phone casing

Requirements:

• Must be new or original
• Not previously published in India or abroad
• Not functional (purely aesthetic)

Protection Period:

• 10 years, extendable by 5 more years (total: 15 years)

Cost:
Lower than patents. Govt fees for individuals/startups: ₹1,000–₹2,000 (filing), more with attorney fees.

🔹 2. Patent Registration (under Patents Act, 1970)

Purpose:
Protects a new invention – a product or process that is novel, inventive, and industrially applicable.

What it protects:
The functionality, technical aspects, and working mechanism of an invention.

Examples:

• A new type of battery pack
• A unique solar inverter circuit
• A chemical process for making a compound

Requirements:

• Must be novel, inventive, and useful
• Not publicly disclosed before the patent application (except under grace period)
• Must not fall under excluded categories (e.g. laws of nature, abstract ideas)

Protection Period:

• 20 years from the filing date

Cost:
Higher than designs. Govt fees for individuals/startups: ₹1,600–₹8,000 (filing), plus patent agent/legal fees if used.

🔸 Summary Table