Design rights for Start-ups: Drawing a line of protection

Abstract

Designs are considered as one of the imperative aspects of a business. Design rights as a branch of Intellectual property rights plays a crucial role in protecting unique designs from infringement. In this regard, design rights have become increasingly important for designers and businesses all over the globe. Primarily, this article provides an overview of design law and registration process in Australia with an emphasis on Start-ups and SMEs. Secondly, this article provides insights on design registration trends of Start-ups and SMEs in Australia. Thirdly, the study provides the importance of designs as an intellectual property for Start-ups and SMEs. Further, the study sheds some light on how registered designs can be used as collaterals.