If a product’s value comes from how it looks – its shape, pattern, ornamentation, or overall visual appearance – rather than how it works, a patent isn’t the right tool. What you want is a registered industrial design, protected under the Registered Designs Ordinance 2000 and the Registered Designs Rules 2023, filed with IPO-Pakistan.
What Qualifies as a Registrable Design
A design registration protects the visual features applied to an article – shape, configuration, pattern, or ornamentation – that appeal to and are judged by the eye. To qualify, the design has to be new: it can’t already be published or in use in Pakistan, and it can’t be dictated purely by the function the article performs. A design that is essentially just the necessary technical shape of a mechanical part, for example, doesn’t qualify – that’s the domain of patents, not design registration.
The Filing Process
- File the application on Form D-1, specifying the article (or set of articles, up to five) the design applies to. The fee is PKR 3,000 for a single article, or PKR 5,000 for a set of up to five articles, with PKR 1,000 for each additional article beyond five.
- Examination. IPO-Pakistan checks the application for compliance and novelty against the register.
- Registration. Once accepted, the design is entered on the register and a Registration Certificate is issued (Form D-5, PKR 3,000 for the certificate itself).
Applicants can also request extensions of time during the process – for example, a two-month extension to remove objections costs PKR 2,000 under Form D-4.
Classification and Scope
Design applications are classified by the type of article the design is applied to, similar in structure to how trademarks are classified by goods and services. A single application under Form D-1 can cover a set of up to five related articles at the flat fee, which is useful for product ranges that share a common visual theme.
How Long Protection Lasts
Design registration is granted for an initial period and can be renewed for further periods – the fee schedule under Form D-5 distinguishes between renewal for the second period (PKR 4,000) and renewal for the third or final period (PKR 6,000), so protection is not indefinite and needs to be actively renewed to stay in force.
Design Registration vs. Trademark Protection
A registered design protects how a product looks; it doesn’t protect your brand name or logo. Most businesses need both – the design to stop competitors copying the product’s appearance, and a trademark to protect the brand identity attached to it. If you haven’t yet secured your brand name, our trademark registration services cover that process, and our team can also handle industrial design filings alongside it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a patent and a registered design in Pakistan?
A patent protects how something works (a functional invention); a registered design protects how something looks (its shape, pattern, or ornamentation), provided that appearance isn’t dictated purely by function.
How much does it cost to register a design in Pakistan?
PKR 3,000 for a single article, or PKR 5,000 for a set of up to five articles, plus PKR 1,000 for each additional article beyond five, filed on Form D-1.
Can a purely functional shape be registered as a design?
No. If the appearance is dictated solely by the technical function the article performs, it doesn’t qualify for design registration – a patent may be the more appropriate protection instead.
Does design registration last forever?
No, it’s granted for an initial period and must be renewed for subsequent periods (with separate fees for the second and third/final periods) to remain in force.
