Intellectual property
Your rights once your design is registered: scope and limits
By Yasmine EDDAM4 April 2025Congratulations, after going through the creation and registration stages, your design is now registered with the INPI! This official recognition gives you genuine property rights over the appearance of your product. But what does this right mean in practice? What actions can you actually prevent your competitors from taking? For how long is this protection valid? And are there situations where, despite your registration, you cannot prevent a third party from using a similar appearance? Understanding precisely the extent and limits of your monopoly is essential. Not only will this enable you to exploit your creation with peace of mind, it will also enable you to know when and how to react to a possible copy, and to avoid legal action that is doomed to failure. The purpose of this article is to detail the scope of the exclusive right you have just acquired, its lifespan, and the main exceptions...
Crossing borders: protecting your designs internationally and in the European Union
Commercial, business and competition law, Intellectual propertyIs your company growing and are your products attracting attention beyond France's borders? This is excellent news! But be careful: if you have taken care to protect the appearance of your creations by registering a design or model in France with the INPI, this protection stops at the borders of the...Registering a design: the essential steps and procedure
Commercial, business and competition law, Intellectual propertyhtml Have you checked that your creation meets the conditions of novelty and distinctiveness, and that it does not fall into any of the exclusions? That's fine. The next step in securing legal protection for the appearance of your product in France is to register your design officially.How to obtain design protection in France: key conditions
Commercial, business and competition law, Intellectual propertyHave you invested time, energy and creativity in developing a unique design for your product or its packaging? This is an essential first step. However, for this appearance to benefit from the specific legal protection offered by design law in France, it must be...Defending your designs: infringement proceedings and other remedies
Commercial, business and competition law, Intellectual propertyhtml Discovering that a competitor is imitating or copying the look of your product, which you have taken time to design and which you have taken care to protect with a design registration, is often an unpleasant and damaging experience for your business. Copying can divert your...Protecting the appearance of your creations: understanding designs and models
Commercial, business and competition law, Intellectual propertyThe unique appearance of your products, whether it's their innovative shape, original motif or distinctive packaging, is often a major competitive advantage. In a saturated market, design catches the eye, seduces consumers and can even become your brand's signature. But do you know how to...
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