Government launches consultation on reforming UK design sector

The government has launched a wide-ranging consultation on reforming the UK’s design protection system, with proposals aimed at modernising rules, reducing abuse and supporting digital innovation.

The consultation, opened by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), will run until 27 November 2025.

It seeks views from across the sector, which contributes almost £100bn a year to the economy and supports close to 2m jobs. Around 80,000 design businesses operate in the UK, the majority of which are small firms.

Among the areas under review are measures to prevent dishonest applications, simplify overlapping rights and improve access to justice for small companies. The government is also considering whether designs generated entirely by artificial intelligence should be eligible for protection.

The consultation follows concerns that the current framework is outdated and overly complex.

Different types of unregistered rights have led to uncertainty, while Brexit has left firms unable to secure automatic protection in both the UK and EU. There are also reports of applicants registering designs for products they do not own, with limited ways to challenge such filings.

Proposals under discussion include:

• granting the IPO powers to examine designs for novelty and originality;
• introducing bad faith provisions to prevent abuse
• harmonising processes across different forms of protection
• allowing applicants to keep designs confidential for up to 18 months
• enabling submissions of video and CAD files to better reflect digital work
• creating a small claims track for design disputes

Chris Bryant creative industries minister Chris Bryant said the current system was “unnecessarily complex” and created barriers for start-ups. He said: “We’re consulting on simplifying our design framework. We want to remove the barriers that hold back creators and make protection straightforward and accessible.”

Adam Williams, chief executive of the IPO, added: “Too many creators – particularly smaller businesses and independent designers – find our current system confusing and difficult to navigate. In a rapidly evolving global marketplace, we need a framework that’s not just fit for today, but ready for tomorrow.”

Responses to the consultation will help shape the government’s final policy options.