✓ UK Solicitor ✓ Qualified Polish Patent & Trademark Attorney ✓ Direct UKIPO, EUIPO, Polish Patent Office & WIPO Representation ✓ Offices in London & Warsaw
Design Search & Availability Assessment
Assess Your Design Before Investing in Registration
Before investing in protecting a new product design, it is important to understand whether your design is likely to qualify for registration and whether similar registered designs may already exist.
A professional Design Search & Availability Assessment helps businesses evaluate the novelty of a proposed design, identify potentially relevant earlier registered designs and develop the most appropriate intellectual property strategy before filing.
At IP Meridian, we provide practical legal advice on Design Searches, Availability Assessments and Design Registration Strategies across the European Union, the United Kingdom, Poland and international markets.
As a Qualified Polish Patent & Trademark Attorney and UK Solicitor, we provide a single trusted adviser helping businesses make informed decisions before investing in design protection across multiple jurisdictions.
Design Search | Design Availability Assessment | Design Registration Strategy
Why Carry Out a Design Search?
Creating an innovative product often requires considerable investment in design, engineering and product development.
Before filing a registered design application, understanding the existing design landscape can help reduce uncertainty and support better commercial decisions.
Although registered design systems differ from patent systems, identifying similar registered or published designs before filing can provide valuable insight into your proposed protection strategy.
Whether you are protecting consumer products, industrial equipment, furniture, packaging, fashion items or digital interfaces, an early assessment supports more informed intellectual property decisions.
Benefits of a Design Search & Availability Assessment
Evaluate Novelty:
We assess whether your proposed design appears sufficiently different from previously published designs and discuss factors that may influence registrability.
Identify Existing Registered Designs:
Where appropriate, searches may identify similar registered or published designs that could influence your filing strategy.
Reduce Commercial Risk:
Understanding the existing design landscape before filing helps businesses make better informed commercial decisions and avoid unnecessary expenditure.
Support International Expansion:
Businesses planning to launch products internationally benefit from developing coordinated protection strategies before entering new markets.
Develop the Right Filing Strategy
Following the assessment, we advise whether protection should be considered through:
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European Union Design Registration
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UK Design Registration
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Polish Design Registration
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International Design Registration (Hague System)
Our Design Search & Assessment Services
Preliminary Design Availability Assessment
We review your proposed product design and discuss factors that may affect registrability.
Prior Design Searches
Where appropriate, we search relevant design databases to identify similar registered or published designs.
Registrability Assessment
We assess novelty, individual character and other relevant legal considerations that may influence protection.
Filing Strategy Advice
Based on the assessment, we recommend the most appropriate filing strategy aligned with your commercial objectives.
Cross-Border Design Protection
Where businesses require protection across multiple jurisdictions, we coordinate filing strategies covering:
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European Union Design Registration (EUIPO)
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United Kingdom Design Registration (UKIPO)
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Polish National Design Registration
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International Design Registration through WIPO's Hague System
Our Assessment Process
Step 1
Initial Consultation
We discuss your product, target markets and commercial objectives.
Step 2
Review Your Design
We assess the key visual characteristics of your proposed design.
Step 3
Design Search
Where appropriate, we conduct searches of relevant registered design databases and review potentially relevant earlier designs.
Step 4
Assessment Report
We explain our findings, discuss any observations and recommend the most appropriate protection strategy.
Step 5
Registration Support
Where appropriate, we prepare and file applications before EUIPO, UKIPO, the Polish Patent Office or WIPO.
Who Can Benefit?
Our Design Search & Availability Assessment services are suitable for:
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Product designers
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Manufacturers
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Consumer brands
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Furniture businesses
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Fashion companies
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Technology companies
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Software developers
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Medical device manufacturers
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Industrial designers
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Start-ups
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SMEs
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International businesses
One Trusted Adviser for Cross-Border Design Protection
Businesses increasingly launch products across multiple jurisdictions.
Rather than coordinating different advisers in each country, IP Meridian provides a single trusted adviser helping businesses develop coordinated design protection strategies covering:
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European Union Design Registration (EUIPO)
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United Kingdom Design Registration (UKIPO)
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Polish National Design Registration
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International Design Registration through WIPO's Hague System
This coordinated approach helps simplify communication, maintain consistent filing strategies and support long-term management of valuable intellectual property assets.
With offices in Warsaw, Poland and London, United Kingdom, we provide practical legal advice supporting businesses operating throughout Europe and international markets.
Why Businesses Choose IP Meridian
Reduce Risk Before Launch
Identify existing registered designs before investing in manufacturing or marketing.
Commercial Decision-Making
Helping businesses avoid unnecessary redesign costs.
18+ Years of International IP Experience
Practical advice before filing.
Integrated Protection
Considering trademarks, designs and copyright together.
Protect Your Design Before You Launch
The most effective intellectual property strategies begin before an application is filed.
Whether you are developing innovative consumer products, industrial equipment, digital interfaces or international product portfolios, IP Meridian provides practical legal advice helping businesses make informed decisions before investing in design protection.
Book a consultation today to discuss your Design Search & Availability Assessment.