A Guide to Industrial Designs

Introduction

• Purpose of this guide
• The Industrial Design Office
• Visit CIPO's website

A well-designed chair is not just a pleasure to sit on, but a pleasure to look at as well. This can be said for almost every manufactured product — its success in the marketplace will depend not only on its functionality, but on its visual appeal as well. That is why manufacturers invest a great deal of money and know-how in industrial design and why an original design is considered valuable intellectual property.

If you are the creator of, or an investor in, an original industrial design, Canadian law offers you protection from unlawful imitation of your design. The Industrial Design Act, like other forms of intellectual property legislation, works to protect owners while promoting the orderly exchange of information. The way to obtain such protection is to register your design with the Industrial Design Office.

Your industrial design is worth a great deal in time and money, and it may mean the success of an entire enterprise. It pays to protect your intellectual property by knowing your rights and how to use them.

Purpose of this guide

In this guide we will look at what industrial designs are, what makes them "registrable," the advantages of registration and how to go about it. Keep in mind that this guide offers general information only and does not cover all the complex issues that may arise throughout the registration process. It should also be noted that this guide is not an authoritative guide on Canadian law regarding industrial design.

For exact definitions and detailed regulations, consult the Industrial Design Act, the Industrial Design Regulations and legal texts on intellectual property available in many libraries. The CIPO Client Service Centre can also provide further information.

The Industrial Design Office

The office responsible for registering industrial designs is the Industrial Design Office. The Office is part of a larger agency called the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), which is part of Industry Canada. In addition to industrial designs, CIPO is responsible for other forms of intellectual property. These are:

• patents — cover new inventions (process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter), or any new and useful improvement of an existing invention;
  
  
• copyrights — provide protection for artistic, dramatic, musical and literary works (including computer programs), and three other subject-matter known as performances, communication signals and sound recordings;
  
  
• trade-marks — are words, symbols, designs (or a combination of these), used to distinguish the wares and services of one person or organization from those of others in the marketplace;
  
  
• integrated circuit topographies — are the three-dimensional configurations of electronic circuits embodied in integrated circuit products or layout designs.

Visit CIPO's website

CIPO's website includes useful information about its product lines, services and legislative changes. The five intellectual property guides are available, as are interactive tools that explain intellectual property in an enjoyable way.

A Guide to Industrial Designs
| Table of Contents |
| Introduction | The Basics | Registering your Industrial Design | The Process |
| Other Procedures | For More Information | Tariff of Fees | FAQ | Forms | Glossary |