This chapter considers the requirements for a design to be protected, with particular reference to the requirement that there be a design. It begins by outlining the requirements for validity that are set out in Article 25(1) of the Community Design Regulation before turning to the definition of ‘design’ with respect to registered designs in the UK and the European Union as well as unregistered Community designs, citing three key elements of this definition: appearance, features, and product. It also examines three types of design that are excluded from the very broad definition of design: designs dictated solely by technical function; designs for products that must be produced in a specific way to enable them to connect to another product; and designs that are contrary to morality or public policy.
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