Intellectual Property Act 2014 – IPO Guidance in relation to Changes in Design Law Published Today

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has today issued a pamphlet detailing changes to UK design law and how this might affect businesses.

Key changes for businesses are:

• the change in the default ownership of a commissioned design - in the absence of a contract which states otherwise, the designer is now the owner of the rights to the design and not the commissioner.
• the introduction of a criminal offence for intentional copying of a UK or EU registered design.

The IPO guidance can be found here.