designs
A registered design protects the “look and feel” of a product but not how the product works.
The owner of a registered design enjoys exclusive rights over the new and distinctive (visual) features of shape, configuration, pattern or ornamentation of a product. This prevents another party from making, selling, importing or otherwise dealing with products that have the same overall appearance for the life of the registered design.
In some countries, product designs can enjoy unregistered design rights for a limited period. However, for many countries, including Australia, designs must be registered to be protected. The maximum period of registration can vary from country to country (e.g. in Australia it lasts a maximum of 10 years).
