IPO publishes consultation outcome on designs framework review

Article summary

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published the outcome of its call for views on the designs framework which ran from January to March 2022, comprising of the government response to the consultation, an analysis of the responses received to the call for views and an analysis of the responses received to the designs framework survey. 57 responses were submitted to the call for views ranging from designers, legal firms, legal trade bodies and small and medium size enterprises, while the 288 responses to the survey predominantly came from lone designers (58%). The government response covers the views of respondents and identifies the issues for further consideration, including areas for future consultation. Some of the commitments made include that the government will consider joining the World Intellectual Property Organization’s digital access system for designs as part of the IPO’s digital transformation program. In addition, the government will investigate how it can improve guidance for...