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Before filing, a design search checks whether your product's appearance is genuinely new and has individual character, against the UKIPO Designs Register and other published designs. Our team at Brealant gives you a clear picture before you invest in filing.
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Legal Definition of a Design Search
A design search reviews the UKIPO Designs Register and other publicly available design disclosures to identify designs identical to, or without individual character when compared with, yours, under the Registered Designs Act 1949.
Purpose and Function of a Design Search
A registrable UK design must be both new and possess individual character. A search assesses this before you file, since the UKIPO's own review at registration is only a formalities check, not a substantive novelty examination.
Protecting Your Filing Strategy
Because an unsearched design can register even if it isn't genuinely new, a search protects the value of the registration you'll eventually rely on if it's ever challenged through an invalidity action.
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Contact
Reach out to Brealant, your trusted design attorney in the United Kingdom, to discuss your product.
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Search
We search the UKIPO Designs Register and relevant published sources, in the UK and, where relevant, 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 United Kingdom, a registrable design must not be identical to, or produce the same overall impression as, a design already made available to the public anywhere before the filing date. A search against the UKIPO Designs Register and other public sources is the clearest way to check this before you file.
Because UK design registration doesn't involve substantive novelty examination at filing, an unsearched application can register even if it isn't genuinely new — leaving it vulnerable to a later invalidity action. 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 and found invalid.
Own Prior Disclosure
Publishing or selling your own design before filing can itself destroy novelty, subject to a 12-month grace period.
Unpublished Applications
Very recently filed UK or EU designs may not yet be visible on the public register at the time of search.
No Substantive Examination at Filing
The UKIPO's check is a formalities review only — a search doesn't replace the certainty that only surviving a later challenge can provide.
Separate From EU Rights
A UK search does not clear your design for registration or use in the EU, which is now a wholly separate system since Brexit.
Brealant explains these limits clearly in every search report, so you know exactly what comfort the search gives you.
A thorough UK design search reviews multiple sources to protect your filing decision. Our search covers
The UKIPO Designs Register
Registered and recently filed designs on the UK Designs Register.
Published Disclosures
Other publicly available design disclosures, including prior product releases and EU-registered designs.
Overall Visual Impression
Comparison of shape, contours, colours, texture, materials, and ornamentation against what's found.
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.
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 UKIPO Designs Register 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 UK design search and clearance report is typically completed within around 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 in pounds sterling, 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 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 as, a design already made available to the public anywhere before the filing (or priority) date.
Yes, Brealant reviews all representations you intend to file to check the overall design.
Yes — publishing or selling your own design before filing can destroy novelty, subject to a 12-month grace period, so timing matters and we'll flag this.
A standard search and clearance report is typically completed within around 3 to 7 business days, depending on the product category.
Yes, alongside the registered designs register, Brealant considers relevant unregistered UK design rights, since these can also form the basis of a later dispute.
Yes — clearing conflicts before designating the UK and other countries through the Hague System avoids carrying an avoidable objection or dispute risk into every jurisdiction covered.
Brealant offers a fixed fee for a standard clearance report, which we confirm upfront once we understand your product category and how many views need checking.
We'll advise on your options, which can include modifying the design, narrowing the representations filed, or reassessing whether the design is distinct enough to proceed.
No, anyone with an interest in the design — including a business owner, employer, or commissioning party — can request a search, regardless of who created the design.
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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