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Before filing, a design search checks whether the appearance of your product is genuinely new and has individual character against the EUIPO Community Designs Register and other published designs. Our team at Brealant gives you a clear picture before you invest in filing across the EU.
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Legal Definition of a Design Search
A design search reviews the EUIPO Registered Community Design (RCD) database and other publicly available design disclosures to identify designs identical or creating the same overall impression as yours.
Purpose and Function of a Design Search
Under Community Design Regulation 6/2002, a registrable design must be both new and have individual character. A search assesses this before you file, since EUIPO registration itself involves only a formalities check, not substantive novelty examination.
Protecting Your Filing Strategy
Because an unsearched design can register even if it isn't truly new, a search protects the value of the EU-wide registration you'll eventually rely on if challenged.
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Contact
Reach out to Brealant, your trusted EU design representative, to discuss your product.
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Search
We search the EUIPO Community Designs database and relevant published sources across the EU.
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Quote
Receive a service quote scoped to the number of design views and product category.
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Pay
Proceed with secure payment for the selected search service.
File
We compare overall visual impression against what's found, as an informed user would.
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Wait
We finalise the clearance report and filing recommendation.
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Response
You receive your search report with a clear filing recommendation.
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In the European Union, a registrable design must not be identical to, or produce the same overall impression on an informed user as, a design already publicly disclosed anywhere in the world before the filing date. A search against the EUIPO database and other public sources is the clearest way to check this before you file.
Because EU design registration doesn't involve substantive novelty examination at filing, an unsearched application can register even if it isn't truly new — leaving it vulnerable to a later invalidity action if challenged. Brealant's search protects the value of the registration you eventually rely on.
A search significantly reduces risk, but it has real limits worth understanding
No Absolute Guarantee
No search, however thorough, can guarantee a design won't later be challenged through an invalidity action and found invalid.
Your Own Prior Disclosure
The EU offers a 12-month grace period for your own prior disclosures before filing, but disclosures outside that window can destroy novelty.
Unpublished Applications
Very recently filed designs may not yet be visible on the public register at the time of search.
No Substantive Examination at Filing
EUIPO registration follows a formalities check only — a search doesn't replace the scrutiny a design may face if challenged.
Rights Outside the EU
An EU design search does not clear your design for registration in the UK, US, or other non-EU countries.
Brealant explains these limits clearly in every search report, so you know exactly what comfort the search gives you.
A thorough EU design search reviews multiple sources to protect your filing decision. Our search covers
The EUIPO Design Database
Registered and recently filed Registered Community Designs on the EUIPO database.
Published Disclosures
Other publicly available design disclosures, including prior product releases anywhere in the world.
Overall Visual Impression
Comparison of shape, contours, lines, colours, and ornamentation against what's found, as an informed user would assess it.
Multiple Product Views
All representations you intend to file, assessed together as the overall design.
Partnering with Brealant means every relevant source is checked before you commit to filing across the EU.
A design search typically involves
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Briefing
You provide images or drawings of the product's design features.
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Searching
We search the EUIPO Community Designs database and relevant published sources.
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Comparison
We assess overall visual impression against what's found, as an informed user would.
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Reporting
You receive a clearance report with a filing recommendation.
A standard EU design search and clearance report is typically completed within 3 to 7 business days, depending on the product category.
Search costs are modest compared to the cost of registering a design later found invalid
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Charged as a fixed professional fee, scoped to the number of design views and the product category.
A written comparison and filing recommendation, included in the search fee.
Brealant explains these limits clearly in every search report, so you know exactly what comfort the search gives you.
If the search is clear, Brealant can move straight into preparing your Registered Community Design application. If it reveals risk, we'll advise on how to adjust the design or filing strategy to keep your project moving forward.
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No, but it substantially reduces the risk of registering a design that's later found invalid through an invalidity action.
The design must not be identical to, or produce the same overall impression on an informed user as, a design already publicly disclosed anywhere in the world before the filing (or priority) date.
Yes, Brealant reviews all representations you intend to file to check the overall design.
The EU allows a 12-month grace period for your own disclosures before filing, so recent disclosures are usually fine — but we'll flag anything outside that window.
A standard search and clearance report is typically completed within 3 to 7 business days, depending on the product category.
Anyone planning to register a Registered Community Design — an individual creator, a design studio, or a manufacturer — can commission a search before filing.
Brealant moves to prepare and file your Registered Community Design application, using the search findings to finalise the representations and product classification.
Yes — a thorough search includes RCDs and Hague International Registrations designating the EU, since both can be cited in a later invalidity action.
Clear images or drawings of the design from the relevant views, and the product(s) it will be applied to, so Brealant can assess prior disclosures accurately.
Yes, where relevant — unregistered Community Design rights, protected for 3 years from first EU disclosure, can also be a basis for invalidity, so Brealant considers them alongside registered rights.
Discover more insights and stay informed about the latest in intellectual property with Brealant's blog. From expert advice on trademark registration and patent protection to strategies for safeguarding your brand in a competitive market, our resources are here to empower your business. .
Explore our blog to learn how effective IP management can strengthen your brand's position and protect your innovations
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