Austrian Registered Design

Designs are used to protect the characteristic outer appearance of products. The special design has to be new and it has to have individual character: its overall impression must differ from those of other designs already available. Examples for designs are the outer shape of a smartphone, the wrapping of a candy bar, the shape of a bottle, a textile design, typographical letters, or the design of a website. Registered designs profit from a 12 months grace period. Thus, a publication of the design by the creator or its successor does not destroy novelty as long as the publication does not happen more than 12 months prior to the application. A design application can claim priority of an earlier application, with a priority term of 6 months. The initial duration of a design is 5 years and can be extended to a maximum of 25 years.