UKIPO Announces Switch to Electronic Design Registration Certificates

The UKIPO has announced that it is switching to issuing electronic design registration certificates in a move away from sending applicants hard copies by post upon registration. The applicant will receive an email from the UKIPO which will include a link to enable the electronic registration certificate to be downloaded from the UKIPO website. The link will remain valid for the download of the certificate for 6 months from the registration date.

The UK registered design system

Readers may be aware that the UK registered design system allows an applicant to apply for the registration of multiple designs in a single application. In such cases, the applicant will receive a separate email for each of the designs upon registration with a unique link to allow the registrant to download the respective certificate.

It should be noted that this change in practice will apply only to those applicants who apply for their designs on-line. If an applicant files their registered design application at the UKIPO using a paper form, they will continue to receive the design registration certificate in hard copy by post.

A welcome change

This is a welcome change from the UKIPO not only for environmental benefits but for simplicity and ease of use and administration by users of the system in this electronic age.

This is a new service and so the UKIPO have requested any feedback to be sent to them at feedback@ipo.gov.uk

If you have any questions or comments in connection with the above, or any other aspect of UK or European design practice, please contact Alex Brown at abrown@vennershipley.co.uk.