subject: An Introduction To Industrial Designs [print this page] What is an industrial design? What is an industrial design?
In everyday language, an industrial design generally refers to a product's overall form and function. An armchair is said to have a "good industrial design" when it is comfortable to sit in and we like the way it looks. For businesses, designing a product generally implies developing the product's functional and aesthetic features taking into consideration issues such as the product's marketability, the costs of manufacturing or the ease of transport, storage, repair and disposal.
From an intellectual property law perspective, however, an industrial design refers only to the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of a product. In other words, it refers only to the appearance of an armchair. Although the design of a product may have technical or functional features, industrial design, as a category of intellectual property law, refers only to the aesthetic nature of a finished product, and is distinct from any technical or functional aspects.
Industrial design is relevant to a wide variety of products of industry, fashion and handicrafts from technical and medical instruments to watches, jewelry, and other luxury items; from household products, toys, furniture and electrical appliances to cars and architectural structures; from textile designs to sports equipment. Industrial design is also important in relation to packaging, containers and "getup" of products.
Why protect industrial designs?
An industrial design adds value to a product. It makes a product attractive and appealing to customers, and may even be its unique selling point. So protecting valuable designs should be a crucial part of the business strategy of any designer or manufacturer.
By protecting an industrial design through its registration at the national or regional intellectual property office, the owner obtains the exclusive right to prevent its unauthorized copying or imitation by others. This makes business sense as it improves the competitiveness of a business and often brings in additional revenue.
