Design
The design of a new product can be protected relatively easy through a design application. Since the protection given is relatively narrow and limited to the actual appearance of the product, numerous variants of this same product can also be submitted. Such a collective application is more economical than a separate application for every product.
Continued
Designs represent an important measure for asserting one’s competitive position, especially if the product cannot be technically differentiated from the previous one.
To gather information about the competitors’ new products, continuous monitoring of new designs is also carried out, either according to the applicant’s name or the type of product.