General Applicability

• Design registration is applicable across a wide range of industries.
  
• It protects the visual features of products used in commercial activities.
  
• Any industry that produces physical articles can seek design protection.
  
• The design must be capable of being reproduced by industrial processes.
  
• The protection is not limited to specific sectors or technologies.
  

Industries Covered

• Consumer goods industries including furniture, packaging, and homeware.
  
• Fashion and textile industries for garment and fabric patterns.
  
• Electronics and appliances for external product designs.
  
• Automotive and transport sectors for vehicle and part designs.
  
• Toys, stationery, and personal care product industries.
  

Industries Not Covered

• Industries producing purely functional components with no aesthetic features.
  
• Software and digital services where no physical product design exists.
  
• Natural and biological structures not made by industrial process.
  
• Abstract concepts or artistic works not intended for industrial use.
  
• Methods of construction or manufacturing processes.
  

Eligibility Criteria Across Industries

• The design must be new and original in the respective industry.
  
• It must not have been previously published or used in any country.
  
• The design should not be dictated by function alone.
  
• The article must be capable of being manufactured in quantity.
  
• The design must be visually appealing to the eye.
  

Limitations and Considerations

• Not all industries benefit equally from design registration.
  
• Industries focused on utility may need patent protection instead.
  
• Functional innovations cannot be protected under design law.
  
• The scope of protection is confined to the specific class of product.
  

Separate applications are needed for each product category.