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Design extends beyond aesthetics, combining usefulness, innovation, and creativity to propel societal and technical advancement. It honours designers and communities that use design as a force for good, emphasising its ability to bring together art, technology, and innovation for collective growth.
The Designs Act, 2000 established legal protection and recognition for designers, marking a significant milestone in India’s creative industry. By protecting invention, it fosters creativity and promotes the country’s design ecosystem. The aim of this article is to emphasise the Act’s critical role in enabling India’s creative economy and promoting innovation.
International Design Day, created by the International Council of Design (ico-D), is observed each year. Its mission is to promote design as a catalyst for social and cultural change. The day emphasises the importance of creativity and innovation, as well as how design influences economic, social, and environmental well-being.
Design is more than just aesthetics; it is a problem-solving discipline that addresses real-world issues. The day honours designers’ ideology, methodology, and social contributions.
The theme for International Design Day 2025, “Outlandish Optimism,” encourages brave creation and resilience. It emphasises the power of design in overcoming global difficulties and bringing positive change. This theme explores how bold ideas and human-centered innovation might contribute to a brighter, more sustainable future.
Design has a significant impact on how the modern world operates. Its significance can be understood along the following dimensions:
Problem-solving: Design gives efficient answers to both simple and complicated challenges, enhancing usability and accessibility.
Economic development: Innovative design improves product attractiveness, increases sales, and fosters industrial expansion.
Cultural Communication:Design acts as a universal language, bridging differences between groups and civilisations.
Social Change: Inclusive designs empower marginalised populations and promote equality and sustainability.
Optimism and inspiration: Design fosters fresh ideas, creativity, and hope, allowing society to foresee a better future.
Through these purposes, design becomes more than just an artistic pursuit; it is also a critical tool for innovation and human advancement.
The Designs Act of 2000 is a major legislation in India that gives legal protection to industrial designs and recognises them as a type of intellectual property. It seeks to promote innovation by ensuring that innovators retain exclusive rights to their creative designs.
Key features:
Design registration: The Act establishes a structured process for registering innovative and original designs, providing legal recognition and protection against unauthorised imitation.
Control and protection: Once registered, a design cannot be duplicated or used without the designer’s consent, protecting the intellectual property.
Benefits for manufacturers: The Act helps local designers and manufacturers by preserving their work, providing financial rewards, and avoiding design theft.
Protection Period: A registered design is protected for 10 years, which can be extended by an additional 5 years for a total of 15 years of protection.
Positive impact: The Act has helped to elevate India’s design industry to global standards, limiting copying and encouraging cross-sector innovation.
By protecting uniqueness and creativity, the Act fosters an environment that promotes innovation and strengthens India’s worldwide competitiveness in design.
The Designs Act of 2000 establishes particular rules to preserve registered designs and ensure openness in their administration.
Controllers and Officers (Section 3): The system is overseen by the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks, who is supported by officers selected by the Central Government.
Registration is prohibited (Section 4): Designs that are not new, previously published, or obscene cannot be registered.
Request for Registration (Section 5): Applications must follow defined procedures, and refusals may be appealed to the High Court.
Classification and Publication (Sections 6–7): Designs are classified into various categories, and once registered, the details are made public.
Transfer and Certification (Sections 8–9): Registered designs may be transmitted through assignment or inheritance, and the Controller will issue a registration certificate.
Registry of Designs (Section 10): A public register contains all records pertaining to ownership and assignment.
Copyright Terms (Section 11): A design’s copyright is valid for 10 years and can be renewed for another five.
Restoration and Rights (Sections 12-14): Lapsed registrations may be reinstated under certain conditions; nonetheless, third-party rights during the lapse are protected.
Sale and Disclosure (Sections 15–16): Designs must bear registration marks before being sold, and confidential disclosures do not count as prior publishing.
Inspection and information (sections 17-18): Anyone can inspect registered designs or acquire certified copies for a charge.
Cancellation (Section 19): Registration may be revoked if the design lacks innovation or violates legal definitions.
Application to the Government (Section 20): Registered designs apply to the government as well as private individuals.
These provisions promote justice, clarity, and protection for all players in the design ecosystem.
International Design Day highlights the power of design to inspire innovation and bring meaningful change. The Designs Act, 2000 supports this vision by legally protecting creative works, encouraging originality, and strengthening India’s role in the global creative economy.
As mentioned by Adv. Abdul Mulla , through his articles on www.lifeandlaw.in and www.asmlegalservices.in, the Act not only safeguards designers’ rights but also nurtures a culture of creativity and trust, driving India’s design-led growth and innovation.
Adv. Abdul Mulla (Mob. No. 937 007 2022) is a seasoned legal professional with over 18 years of experience in advocacy, specializing in diverse areas of law, including Real Estate and Property Law, Matrimonial and Divorce Matters, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, and Will and Succession Planning. read more….
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