Design Lawyer in Düsseldorf, Germany
Design law protects the appearance of products and can complement trademark, copyright and unfair competition protection. Attorney Oliver Langner advises in Düsseldorf on German and EU design registration, infringement, product imitation, protection strategy and design licence agreements.
Design law: key matters at a glance
Registration and protection strategy
A registered design protects the appearance of a product as represented in the application. Before filing, it is important to decide which visual features matter commercially, whether multiple variants should be filed and whether protection is needed in Germany, across the EU or beyond.
Novelty and individual character are central substantive requirements. Registration systems do not eliminate the need to consider earlier designs and disclosure timing.
Infringement and product imitation
A design dispute focuses on the scope of the protected design and the overall impression created by the challenged product. Depending on the facts, copyright, trademark law or unfair competition law may also be relevant and should be analysed separately rather than automatically assumed.
Licensing designs
Licences can turn protected designs into commercial assets. Agreements should define products, territory, duration, exclusivity, remuneration, quality obligations, enforcement responsibilities and termination consequences.
This overview is general information on design protection. Registrability, scope and infringement depend on the specific representations, prior designs, disclosures and products concerned.
