At Fidus Law Chambers, our Design Law practice offers end-to-end legal support to clients seeking to protect and enforce the aesthetic and functional elements of their innovative products. As one of the most experienced design law firms in India, we help creators, inventors, manufacturers, and brand owners secure legal rights over industrial designs that serve as key market differentiators in competitive industries.
Design protection is a critical aspect of intellectual property, particularly for industries where product aesthetics, packaging, and shape contribute to consumer recognition and brand value. Our team of experienced design lawyers in India advises on all aspects of design registration, enforcement, litigation, and commercialization, ensuring that our clients’ creative work is protected and monetized effectively.
India's legal framework protects only registered designs—making timely and accurate filings essential. Our experienced design lawyers in India guide clients through every stage of the design protection lifecycle, beginning with pre-filing searches to assess novelty and originality. We help determine the appropriate class under the Locarno Classification, draft representations that meet formal requirements, and file design applications before the Designs Office under the Designs Act, 2000.
A key principle under Indian design law is that protection must be sought before the design is disclosed in the public domain. This makes securing early legal advice crucial to preserving rights and avoiding disqualification on grounds of prior disclosure. We work closely with clients to integrate design registration into their broader innovation and commercialization timelines—whether for new product lines, packaging, user interfaces, or ornamental features of functional goods.
Comprehensive Design Registration Services
We provide clients with full-service support on design registration in India and internationally. Our services include:
We ensure that applications are strategically filed with the correct classifications to maximize coverage and minimize exposure to design replication by competitors. The standard term of protection is 10 years, extendable by 5 years, and we provide docketing and renewal services to maintain protection.
Strategic Advisory on Design Portfolio Development
Clients frequently consult us for strategic advice on how to develop and align their design portfolios with broader IP and business objectives. Whether you're in consumer electronics, automotive, fashion, packaging, homeware, or lifestyle products, we help structure protection strategies that distinguish your designs in the marketplace and prevent imitation.
We advise on the overlap between design rights, trademarks, and copyrights, helping clients evaluate the best route to maximize protection and minimize enforcement gaps.
Design Enforcement and Design Infringement Litigation
In design disputes, we regularly represent clients before the Controller of Designs and the courts. Our lawyers also assist in oppositions, cancellations, and rectification proceedings under the Designs Act and the Patents Act, where applicable.
Our team represents clients in both civil and criminal actions against infringers, including actions for injunctions, damages, and account of profits. We are also well-versed in interlocutory applications, Anton Piller orders, and border enforcement mechanisms.
We have prosecuted and defended a range of high-stakes design disputes involving product copying, market confusion, and wrongful registrations. Our team has secured landmark judgments in the area of design law and is well-equipped to advise on complex enforcement strategies involving overlapping trademark, copyright, and trade dress claims, which makes us one of the few firms offering truly integrated IP enforcement strategies.
We also provide pre-litigation advisory on cease-and-desist actions, settlement negotiations, and litigation readiness.
For more information on our enforcement capabilities, please visit the section titled Litigation / Disputes.
Design Commercialization and Licensing
As part of our design law practice, Fidus Law Chambers assists clients in monetizing their protected designs through licensing, co-branding, and product development partnerships.
Our attorneys negotiate, draft, and review a wide range of commercial contracts including:
These services are often coordinated with our Commercial and Contractual IP practice to provide integrated advice on IP ownership, use, and revenue sharing models. We help structure deals that ensure control over how designs are used, distributed, or modified, both in India and internationally.
Our lawyers also conduct due diligence on design rights during mergers, acquisitions, and product launches, identifying risks and validating ownership before commercialization.
At Fidus Law Chambers, our approach to design law is proactive, business-focused, and deeply rooted in IP strategy. Whether you are launching a new product, seeking to monetize your designs, or defending your rights in court, our team of experienced design lawyers in India offers the legal clarity and enforcement strength you need.
Our firm's excellence is recognized in various legal rankings such as:
An industrial design refers to the features of shape, configuration, pattern, ornament, or composition of lines or colors applied to an article by an industrial process that is appealing to the eye.
The proprietor of a new or original design can apply. This includes:
The registered owner gets the exclusive right to apply the design to any article in the registered class. Others cannot make, import, sell, or use articles bearing the design without their consent.
Yes, unlike copyright or trademark, design protection in India is only available through registration.
Design piracy includes:
Yes, if the foreign application is filed in a Paris Convention country, the Indian application must be filed within 6 months, claiming the same priority.
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